Pepsi Unveils First 100-Percent Recycled Soda Bottle

The new 7UP EcoGreen Bottle, North America’s first soda bottle made from 100 recycled plastic, will hit Canadian stores in early August. Photo: PepsiCo

Why can’t beverage makers recycle plastic soda bottles back into new soda bottles?

Creating a 100-recycled, food-grade bottle that can withstand the pressure of carbonation from soft drinks has proven to be a challenge for manufacturers.

But now PepsiCo announced it has successfully developed North America’s first soda bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic – the 7UP EcoGreen Bottle, which will hit Canadian stores next month.

The bottle’s introduction to Canada will reduce the amount of virgin plastic that PepsiCo Beverages Canada uses by approximately 6 million pounds annually, the company said.

Studies by the Association for Post-Consumer Plastic Recyclers estimate that the new bottle will also cut greenhouse gas emissions from the company’s 7UP production by 30 percent and reduce its energy use by 55 percent.

“After three years of research and development, we have cracked the code to commercially develop a soft drink bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic,” said Richard Glover, president of PepsiCo Beverages Canada. “Consumers want products and packaging that reflects their desire to protect the environment, and PepsiCo is committed to delivering on that with this kind of world-class innovation.”

The EcoGreen bottle will be available in all 7UP and Diet 7UP package sizes and will look and feel like any other plastic soda bottle. Despite the slightly higher cost to produce the bottle, the company said it plans to price 7UP beverages on par with other soft drink brands.

PepsiCo currently uses an average of 10 percent recycled PET in soda bottles in the U.S. and Canada, and the Canadian division aims to increase the number of bottles made from 100 percent recycled plastic.