Coca-Cola struggles to bring 'greener' bottles to UK

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Last week, the drinks giant announced the global launch of its PlantBottle sustainable packaging initiative.

The scheme involves making bottles using 30% renewable sources to reduce the company's reliance on petroleum oil.

The sustainable positioning will be central to Coca-Cola's global consumer advertising, with each market creating an initiative to promote the packaging.

In Canada, for example, the company will back the initiative using the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

The scheme is being trialled in Denmark, with products including Coca-Cola, Coke Zero and Coke Light available in the sustainable packaging. The initiative will roll out in the US in December, and in Canada in January.

However, plans for the UK are on ice until its suppliers are able to meet production demands. 'The UK is working toward introducing the bottles into its market,' said Shouvik Ganguly, the brand's director of consumer marketing and innovation. 'This is just the beginning of a significant environmental strategy for us.'

Bottling it up

• This year Coca-Cola opened the world's biggest bottle-to-bottle recycling plant.
• It will produce the equivalent of 20bn recycled plastic bottles each year.
• PlantBottles consist of 30% plant-based material.
• The bottles will reduce C02 emissions by 25%, compared with plastic bottles.