Keurig Dr Pepper to launch 100% rPET bottles for Snapple and Core brands

Keurig Dr Pepper has announced that its Snapple and Core beverage brands will transition to bottles made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET) in the coming months.

According to Keurig Dr Pepper, Snapple beverages are now available in 100% recycled plastic 16 oz. bottles in West Coast markets, and these bottles will continue to roll out in phases across the country through early 2021.

The company added that production was already underway for Core bottles made from 100% recycled plastic, which will be released in early 2021.

A statement from the company claims that the shift to 100% rPET for both brands will eliminate the use of approximately 46.3 million pounds (21,001 tonnes) of virgin plastic by Keurig Dr Pepper annually.

20% of the materials used by Dr Pepper Snapple brands are made from post-consumer recycled content (PCR). Transitioning to 100% rPET bottles across both the Snapple and Core brands will increase that total to 24%, bring the company closer to its goal of 30% PCR packaging by 2025.

Monique Oxender, chief sustainability officer of Keurig Dr Pepper, said: “Transitioning to recycled plastic bottles for two of our key brands is a critical next step in Keurig Dr Pepper’s commitment to a circular economy.

“This important portfolio evolution enables us to offer consumers their favourite beverages, while meeting their desire for more sustainable packaging.”

Keurig Dr Pepper announced in August that nearly 90% of packaging across its entire portfolio is now recyclable, and that it would aim to increase that to 100% by 2025.