LABELS are to be temporarily removed from Sprite on-the-go bottles as part of Coca-Cola’s trial of ‘label-less’ packaging.
The pilot will see labels on single 500ml Sprite bottles removed and replaced with an embossed logo on the front of the pack, with a laser-engraved product and nutritional information on the back of the pack.
Whilst existing labels are fully recyclable, Coca-Cola explained that removing them simplifies the recycling process. Furthermore, the company explained that the move also removes the need to separate labels from bottles during the recycling process and reduces the amount of packaging material used overall.
Dusan Stojankic, VP franchise operations at GB&I at Coca‑Cola Great Britain, commented, “We want to help create a future where plastic drink packaging will always have more than one life. Labels contain valuable information for consumers, but with the help of technology we can now trial other ways to share this information while reducing the amount of packaging we use.
“Going label-less might seem like a small step, but it is one of several ways we are exploring making recycling easier, minimising waste, and minimising the impact of our packaging on the environment.”
Javier Meza, VP marketing at Coca‑Cola Europe, added, “The trial we are announcing today is a milestone for the industry. It’s the first time these two technologies have been used in a pilot globally, where a Coca‑Cola product will appear in a label-less, single-unit bottle sold in-store.
“Although the design change may sound simple, this is a big shift from a marketing perspective. This trial could contribute to longer-term changes to the way brands communicate with their consumers.”
