Coca-Cola Releases New Space-Inspired Flavor, and Announces Plans for Reusable Packaging

published Feb 18, 2022
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Coca-Cola Starlight
Credit: Coca-Cola

If there’s one thing you can count on from Coca-Cola, it’s the element of surprise when it comes to the release of some of their products. Though it’s not really surprising that they continue to release different flavors, what does seem to catch fans off guard is the type of innovations they come up with. The Coca-Cola with Coffee Mocha is definitely one of them, while them tapping into the hard seltzer world is another.

While I’m sure that there is a healthy list of flavors across the Coca-Cola brand that I have not even begun to tap into, there’s a new limited-edition flavor that’s, well … out of this world. No, really. It’s out of this world.

Available beginning Monday, February 21, the new Starlight Coca-Cola (in both Original Taste and Zero Sugar) is a new space-inspired flavor that aims to transport us earthlings to another universe with just one sip. Said to deliver a “subtle cooling sensation that builds” as well as “notes that bring to mind stargazing around a campfire,” this is one drink that you’ll want to taste — even if only just once.

The reddish-hued sip — which is inspired by the light of the stars — will be available for purchase in both 20-ounce bottles and 10-packs of 7.5-ounce mini cans nationwide for a limited time only.

Credit: Shelley Gans

In other Coke news, the brand announced that by the end of the decade, they plan to significantly boost its use of reusable packaging. Though countries like Brazil are already on board with this model, Coca-Cola is aiming to implement the strategy globally across its portfolio of brands by at least 25 percent.

“We continue to put consumers at the center of all we do,” Elaine Bowers Coventry, Chief Customer & Commercial Officer for The Coca-Cola Company said. “One way to do that is by offering sustainable packaging types. Accelerating use of reusable packages provides added value for consumers and customers while supporting our World Without Waste goal to collect a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2030.”

Noted to be a “universal bottle,” once empty, the reusable plastic bottle will be returned to the store it was purchased from and when the delivery driver arrives with a new shipment, they’ll take the old bottles to be cleaned, refilled, and relabeled. Additionally, customers who bring back bottles will also get a discount — so essentially, a recycle program for customers.

The company’s goal is to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every sold by the year 2030, and if the stats from the year after their launch in Brazil in 2019 is anything to go by (the program saw Coca-Cola produce 1.8 billion fewer bottles), it just might be possible.

You can read more information on the reusable package program here.