Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Coke’s 100% plant-based bottle exhibited at Expo Milano

The package represents the first demonstration scale production of a PET bottle made entirely from plant-based material.

The Coca-Cola Company pavilion at Expo Milano 2015
The Coca-Cola Company pavilion at Expo Milano 2015

The Coca-Cola Company has unveiled the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant materials at the World Expo in Milan. PlantBottle™ packaging is said to push the boundaries on sustainable innovation by using BioFormPX® paraxylene from Virent to create a fully recyclable plastic bottle made from renewable plant materials.

According to The Coca-Cola Company, PlantBottle packaging is the company’s vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. PlantBottle packaging uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles. The packaging looks, functions, and recycles like traditional PET but has a lighter footprint on the planet and its resources.

Said Nancy Quan, Global Research and Development Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, at the unveiling of the bottle in early June, “Today is a pioneering milestone within our company’s packaging portfolio. Our vision was to maximize game-changing technology, using responsibly sourced plant-based materials to create the globe’s first fully recyclable PET plastic bottle made entirely from renewable materials. We are delighted to unveil the first bottles here at World Expo—a world-class exhibition where sustainable innovation is celebrated.”

Virent parnership

The World Expo exhibit was the result of the world’s first demonstration scale production of a PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based materials, manufactured at Virent’s Madison, WI, demonstration plant. Polyester producer Far Eastern New Century Corp. (FENC) worked with Virent and The Coca-Cola Company to convert the BioFormPX to bio-PET resin.

Annual Outlook Report: Sustainability
The road ahead for CPGs in 2025 and beyond—<i>Packaging World</i> editors review key findings from a survey of 88 brand owners, CPG, and FMCG readers.
Download Now
Annual Outlook Report: Sustainability
Conveying Innovations Report
Editors report on distinguishing characteristics that define each new product and collected video demonstrating the equipment or materials as displayed at the show. This topical report, winnowed from nearly 300 PACK EXPO collective booth visits, represents a categorized, organized account of individual items that were selected based on whether they were deemed to be both new, and truly innovative, based on decades of combined editorial experience in experiencing and evaluating PACK EXPO products.
Take me there
Conveying Innovations Report