Major beverage and food brands are implementing molecular recycling technology and deposit return schemes to transform plastic waste into food-grade packaging while advancing circular economy goals.
- PepsiCo and Eastman partnership uses molecular recycling to convert hard-to-recycle PET waste into new beverage bottles for Gatorade and other products
- Danone's Wimbledon pilot demonstrates UK Deposit Return Scheme with reverse vending machines offering 20 pence refunds on Evian bottles
- McDonald's Germany initiative replaces fiber cups with 100% recycled plastic mono-material cups for McCafé cold drinks
- Molecular recycling advantage breaks down mixed plastics into molecular building blocks, enabling recovery of materials traditionally unsuitable for mechanical recycling
- Circular economy impact diverts packaging from landfills and incineration while maintaining food-contact safety and performance standards
These initiatives highlight the ongoing efforts to innovate within packaging and recycling, helping industries to reduce their environmental impact and move closer to a sustainable, circular economy.
Learn more about ThePackHub's Innovation Zone here.
PepsiCo introduces recycled PET beverage bottles from molecular recycling
PepsiCo has expanded its collaboration with Eastman, based in Kingsport, Tennessee, United States, to introduce beverage bottles manufactured using Eastman PET Renew, a recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material produced through molecular recycling. The partnership, established over multiple years, has resulted in commercial beverage bottles, including packaging for Gatorade, that incorporate recycled content derived from plastic waste streams that are traditionally difficult to recycle using conventional mechanical recycling methods. Eastman’s molecular recycling process breaks down mixed and hard-to-recycle PET-based plastic waste into its molecular building blocks before rebuilding it into new PET resin suitable for food-contact applications. This approach enables the production of food-grade packaging with properties comparable to those of virgin PET while expanding the range of feedstocks that can be recovered. The bottles are designed to meet the performance requirements of beverage packaging, including strength, clarity and compatibility with existing filling and distribution systems, without requiring changes to established manufacturing processes. By converting materials that would otherwise be destined for landfill or incineration into new packaging, the collaboration demonstrates an alternative route for increasing the availability of recycled content in beverage bottles.
The pilot is designed to demonstrate how the forthcoming UK Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will operate before its planned national implementation. ThePackHub
Danone's deposit return pilot for beverage packaging collection
Danone, based in Paris, France, has partnered with The All England Lawn Tennis Club in London, United Kingdom, and Exchange for Change, United Kingdom, to trial a reverse vending machine (RVM) system for beverage packaging during the Wimbledon Championships Qualifying Competition. The pilot is designed to demonstrate how the forthcoming UK Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will operate before its planned national implementation. Spectators purchasing Evian 75 centiliter (750 milliliter) PET plastic bottles at the venue pay an additional 20 pence deposit at the point of sale. Once the bottle has been emptied, it can be returned through one of two RVM collection points located across the site, where the packaging is collected for recycling and the deposit is refunded. In this trial, participants can also choose to donate their returned deposit to the Wimbledon Foundation, supporting community projects. The initiative focuses on evaluating consumer interaction with deposit return infrastructure in a live event environment while collecting operational data that can inform the wider rollout of the scheme.
The packaging has been developed specifically for the new cold drinks range, with both the cup body and lid manufactured from 100% recycled plastic.ThePackHub
McDonald's recycled plastic cup replaces paper for cold drinks
McDonald's has introduced a new mono-material plastic cup made entirely from recycled plastic for its McCafé Drinks range in Germany, replacing the fiber-based disposable cups previously used for these beverages. The packaging has been developed specifically for the new cold drinks range, with both the cup body and lid manufactured from 100% recycled plastic. Designed as a mono-material system, the cup and lid can be collected within plastic recycling streams, supporting material recovery where suitable infrastructure exists. The transparent packaging has been selected to showcase the layered appearance and colors of the beverages, reflecting the visual presentation of the new product range while maintaining compatibility with takeaway and in-store consumption. For customers consuming drinks within the restaurant, beverages are served without a lid, while selected chilled coffee drinks are also available in glass. The new packaging is used exclusively for the McCafé Drinks range, with hot beverages and standard soft drinks continuing to be served in fiber-based disposable cups.
Learn more about ThePackHub's Innovation Zone here.
