The common plastic water or soda bottle is one of the most common uses for the polymer resin, polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. Products made from this material are recyclable, however, beginning in 2012, Pepsi will go one step further and produce a bottle that is 100% “green.” This bottle, the first of its kind, will be made entirely of plant based materials that can be completely recycled.
This technology, which is on the cutting edge of anything that has previously been proposed, is a boon for the environment, a breakthrough in science, and a boost to Pepsi’s carbon footprint awareness. Amazingly, these bottles are going to be made from such sustainable and common plant products such as pine bark, switch grass, and corn husks. Down the road, even orange and potato peels are destined to be added to the mix, creating a totally food-based product, as opposed to the petroleum based product currently used. According to Pepsico, this new bottle will be pretty much identical to the current bottles in look, feel, and in the way it protects the product. However, the difference will be calculated ultimately in its effect on their carbon footprint.
Obviously, the benefits to this breakthrough are limitless. Creating such useful and common products entirely from sustainable materials, and conserving oil, which is not, should be the ultimate goal of anyone concerned with the environment. And, ideally, once this project is in full swing, it should lead the way to millions of other applications as well.
Pepsi is not new to the work toward the utilization of sustainable materials. SunChips, a popular product made by the company, was the first to use a totally compostable bag, and the Modesto plant, where they are made, supplements its energy needs through the use of solar power.
They have also contributed through their introduction of the thinner and more lightweight Aquafina bottles, and by promoting low carbon fertilizers used to grow products for Tropicana. Through their promotion of on-the-go recycling centers they have been instrumental in working toward the goal of increasing bottle recycling to 50% by 2018.
Pepsi has taken the initiative in “greening” up its company in every division, and, as they state in their official release on the subject, they are prepared to carry this even further. In an effort to provide the best possible products, while using less energy and water, they intend to provide a better environment for their employees, the communities they serve, and the world in general.
