Coca-Cola will temporarily remove labels from its Sprite and Sprite Zero on-the-go bottles in the UK this month as part of a limited trial, exploring the concept of label-free packaging.
In the pilot program, labels on individual 500ml Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles will be taken off and replaced with an embossed logo on the front of the packaging. The product and nutritional information will be laser-engraved on the back of the bottles.
The new limited design will be available for consumers at eight Tesco Express stores in Brighton and Hove, Bristol, London, and Manchester from January to March 2024.
Although the current labels are entirely recyclable, their removal streamlines the process for consumers by eliminating the necessity to separate them from the bottles during recycling. This not only simplifies the recycling procedure but also reduces the overall amount of packaging used.
Similar to the current Sprite packaging, the bottles are crafted from recycled PET and showcase attached caps in green and transparent colors, distinguishing them as either Sprite or Sprite Zero, respectively.
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Dusan Stojankic, VP of franchise operations, Great Britain and Ireland 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.”
He emphasized that although adopting a labelless approach may seem like a “small step,” it is just one of the various methods the company is investigating to reduce the environmental impact of its packaging.
Coca-Cola has implemented additional design modifications in recent years to address packaging waste. These changes include transitioning Sprite bottles from green to clear plastic to enhance recyclability and introducing attached caps that remain connected to the bottle post-opening. This initiative aims to minimize the potential for littering.
Javier Meza, Vice President of Marketing at Coca-Cola Europe, characterized the trial as a significant “milestone” for the industry. He expressed that it has the potential to bring about a substantial shift in the realm of marketing, with the possibility of influencing longer-term changes in how brands engage with their consumers.
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