Sprite Retires Its Green Bottle for Even Greener Packaging

Although green plastic made from polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, is recyclable, it doesn’t always get recycled. Any additives, such as color, make plastic more difficult to repurpose, which means fewer facilities are willing to process it.

“There is no value for green [plastic],” Jan Dell, founder of environmental nonprofit The Last Beach Cleanup, told Adweek in February. “No one wants green. Green is waste.”

Beverage companies, Dell added, know this but continue using it instead of clear plastic to cultivate a “brand image.”

Today, however, Coca-Cola’s Sprite is announcing plans to walk away from its classic green bottle—a color it’s used to stand out from the competition for more than 60 years.