Coca‑Cola trials ‘label-less’ Sprite bottles in UK

Coca‑Cola has launched a limited trial of ‘label-less’ packaging on Sprite on-the-go bottles in the UK.

The pilot will see labels temporarily removed from single 500ml Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles and replaced with an embossed logo on the front of the pack. Laser-engraved product and nutritional information will appear on the back of pack.

While existing labels are fully recyclable, removing them simplifies the recycling process, the soft drinks major said.

Like existing Sprite packaging, the clear, 100% recycled PET bottles feature green and transparent attached caps identifying them as Sprite or Sprite Zero respectively.

“We want to help create a future where plastic drink packaging will always have more than one life,” Dusan Stojankic, vice president, franchise operations, GB&I at Coca‑Cola Great Britain commented.

“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. Going label-less might seem like a small step, but it is one of several ways we are exploring making recycling easier, minimising waste, and minimising the impact of our packaging on the environment.”

In recent years, Coca‑Cola has introduced a number of design changes to help reduce packaging waste, including turning Sprite bottles from green to clear plastic to make them easier to recycle back into bottles.

It has also introduced attached caps to its bottles, ensuring that the cap stays connected to the bottle after opening to reduce the potential for littering, and invested in new designs to reduce the amount of packaging it uses, such as creating lightweight bottles and reducing the materials used in external packaging.

Javier Meza, vice president, marketing, Coca‑Cola Europe, added: “The trial is a milestone for the industry. It’s the first time these two technologies have been used in a pilot globally, where a Coca‑Cola product will appear in a label-less, single-unit bottle sold in-store. Although the design change may sound simple, this is a big shift from a marketing perspective. This trial could contribute to longer-term changes to the way brands communicate with their consumers.”

The new limited design will be sold at eight Tesco Express Stores in Brighton and Hove, Bristol, London and Manchester between January and March.