Since launching the PlantBottle™ Packaging program in 2009, The Coca-Cola Company has distributed more than 30 × 109 bottles in nearly 40 countries using its current PlantBottle packaging, which is made from up to 30% plant-based materials. It is estimated the use of PlantBottle packaging since launch has helped save the equivalent annual emissions of more than 315 000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. To expand the application of this innovative packaging material, a sustainable feedstock needs to be identified, and a new technology needs to be developed to allow its integration into PlantBottle technology, for using agriculture waste to produce bio-polyethylene terephthalate (bio-PET), and develop an economically viable supply chain of bio-PET in China. These breakthroughs can also be applied beyond packaging and have the potential to help companies around the world reach their own sustainability goals. Using renewable feedstock to produce bio-PET reduces dependence on petro-based resources, mitigates carbon emissions, and promotes sustainable development. Under the China-US EcoPartnership program, The Coca-Cola Company partners with the Yangtze River Delta Circular Economy Institute of Technologyto identify and advance commercial technologies for converting local agricultural residues or wastes (e.g., corn cob and stover) into the base ingredient, mono-ethylene glycol (MEG), for manufacturing polyester resin/fiber. The Coca-Cola Company is developing bio-MEG conversion technology with a technology and implementation partner, and finalizing the technical conversion process for commercial production. Yangtze River Delta Circular Economy Institute of Technology is exploring the related supply chain and feedstock logistics. Any advancement using agricultural wastes today are likely to have continued relevance to this second part of the journey toward realizing sustainably sourced and fully recyclable PET plastic product solutions.
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Ren et al. (2015) studied this question.
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