Coke Bottles Go Plant-Based

If you happen to buy a Coke in Johannesburg in the near future, take a closer look at the bottle. In 2007, Coca-Cola pledged to increase its environmental efforts by focusing on “water stewardship, sustainable packaging, energy management, and climate protection,” and South Africa is seeing results. The company recently announced that it will be switching to plant-based bottles derived from sugarcane for its products in the African nation as well as “going green” with its new plant in Heidelberg. South Africa is the 10th global market for PlantBottle, which is considered a more sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics. It is predicted that global demand for biodegradable or plant-based plastic will quadruple by 2013.