Denise Lefebvre, director of Advanced Research \u2013 Beverage Packaging, for PepsiCo reveals additional details on the announcement of a 100% plant-based PET bottle expected to pilot in 2012.<\/b><\/p>\n
In the soft drink wars, a new battle is being waged. In March, PepsiCo threw its hat into the sustainable soft-drink packaging ring, one-upping. The Coca-Cola Company\u2019s 30% plant-based PET PlantBottle with one PepsiCo claims will comprise 100% renewable resources. Whereas Coke\u2019s PlantBottle is made with 30% sugarcane, PepsiCo says it will create a PET bottle that uses materials such as switch grass, pine bark, and cornhusks. In the future, the company says it will broaden the renewable sources used to create the bottle to include orange peels, potato peels, oat hulls, and other agricultural byproducts from its foods business.<\/p>\n
When asked about the development at the Sustainable Packaging Symposium 2011, The Coca-Cola Co.\u2019s Scott Vitters, general manager of the PlantBottle Packaging Platform, noted that Coke has proven in a lab environment that it is possible to create a PET bottle with 100% renewable resources. “The question is, is it scalable and sustainable,\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
PepsiCo believes it is. In an exclusive interview with Greener Package, PepsiCo\u2019s Denise Lefebvre, director of Advanced Research \u2013 Beverage Packaging, talks about PepsiCo\u2019s development of a 100% plant-based PET bottle and its plan to begin pilot production of the package in 2012.<\/p>\n