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Coke bottle — The British arm of Coca Cola beverage company announced that it has started rolling out new versions of its plastic bottles. The new bottles feature an attached cap that is supposed to make it easier to recycle the whole package at once.

Coke knows that its soda caps often end up as litter. And so information technology's trying to solve the problem by tethering them to the bottle, at least in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland.

Earlier this week, the British arm of the beverage visitor appear that it has started rolling out new versions of its plastic bottles. The new bottles characteristic an fastened cap, a design that is supposed to make it easier to recycle the whole package at once — and keep caps out of the trash.

Plastic bottles of Coke, Coke Zippo Saccharide, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Dr Pepper should all take attached caps past early 2024, the company said. The transition but applies to UK bottles.

"This is a minor change that we hope will have a big impact, ensuring that when consumers recycle our bottles, no cap gets left behind," said Jon Woods, full general manager at Coca-Cola Dandy United kingdom, in a argument Tuesday.

Plastic waste matter is a major environmental problem. Plastics break downwards into microplastics that make their manner into the air and body of water, harming marine life. They tin end up in our food or lungs, potentially leading to health issues.

It'south also a big public relations problem for companies similar Coke. When the visitor'due south bottles or caps end up on beaches or in landfills, consumers recognize them every bit Coke products, tarnishing the brand's reputation. As a result, more firms are taking steps to attempt to reduce their waste material.

Companies accept more to worry virtually than their reputations and the health of the planet -- at that place'southward also the threat of government regulations. The Eu, for instance, is requiring that caps be attached to some plastic bottles as part of its directive on single-utilize plastics. Companies have until the end of 2024 to comply.

Coke's latest move in the United kingdom is office of its global "Globe Without Waste" initiative, which lays out a 2030 goal of helping to collect and recycle empty bottles or cans for each one the company sells. It besides plans to make its cans and bottles with 50% recycled material by 2030, and to brand packaging 100% recyclable by 2025.

Some environmentalists criticized Coca-Cola's efforts, saying they fall curt.

"Whether their plastic caps are tethered or non, the company still produces billions of throwaway plastic bottles every year, harming our environment, our communities and our climate, and impacting our health," said Graham Forbes, global plastics projection lead at Greenpeace U.s.a..

Rather than focus on recycling, an imperfect solution, many environmentalists advocate a switch to reusable containers.

"If they truly want to solve the plastic and climate crisis, Coca-Cola must focus on reducing plastic by doubling its reuse and refill packaging target to 50% by 2030," said Forbes.

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