This Soda Is About to Look Completely Different

Abigail Abesamis Demarest
Abigail Abesamis Demarest
Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a freelance contributor for Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn. When she’s not writing she’s reading up on the latest wellness trends, teaching Zumba classes, or reading a book on the beach.
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published Jul 29, 2022
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clear bottles of Dasani, Sprite, Fresca, Seagram's ginger ale and Mello Yello
Credit: The Coca-Cola Company

Heads up, soda fans! Sprite will be sold in clear bottles instead of its signature green ones starting next month, which is sure to come as a shock to customers. Dasani, another major Coca-Cola brand, will be rolling out bottles that are made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) plastic (not including its caps and labels). Both changes are part of an effort to be more eco-friendly.

The shift to clear bottles for Sprite will increase its chances of being remade into new beverage bottles, according to a company announcement. 

If you’re thinking “wait, I thought they were recyclable!” You are correct, they are. However, the green PET bottles currently in use get separated from clear plastic bottles. (That way they don’t discolor new PET bottles made from recycled materials.) The green plastic gets made into single-use items like clothing and carpeting, which cannot be further recycled.

“Taking colors out of bottles improves the quality of the recycled material,” says Julian Ochoa, CEO of R3CYCLE, a PET reprocessing company that is working with Coca-Cola to enable bottle-to-bottle recycling across their 14 state-territory. “This transition will help increase availability of food-grade rPET. When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into bottles, helping drive a circular economy for plastic.”

In addition to the new bottle color, Sprite is also debuting a revamped logo (that will still be green!) and more prominent “Recycle Me” messaging. Coca-Cola’s other green plastic products, including Fresca, Seagram’s, and Mello Yello, will also transition to clear PET.