Suntory reveals 100% plant-based bottle

By Rachel Arthur

- Last updated on GMT

Pic:Suntory
Pic:Suntory

Related tags rPET Suntory Food & Beverage GB&I Suntory

Suntory Group has created a prototype PET bottle made from 100% plant-based materials: which will be initially used with Orangina in Europe and mineral water Suntory Tennensui in Japan.

The bottle has been developed after a nearly decade-long partnership with US-based sustainable tech company Anellotech.

Suntory aims to commercialize the bottle as soon as possible to meet its 2030 goal of eliminating all petroleum-based virgin plastic from its global PET supply.

PET is produced using two raw materials: 70% terephthalic acid (PTA) and 30% mono ethylene glycol (MEG).

Suntory’s prototype plant-based bottle is made by combining Anellotech’s new technology, a plant-based paraxylene derived from wood chips, which has been converted to plant-based PTA, and pre-existing plant-based MEG made from molasses which Suntory has been using in its Suntory Tennensui​ brand in Japan since 2013. The PTA is produced from non-food biomass; while the MEG is derived from non-food grade feedstock.

The fully recyclable prototype plant-based bottle is also estimated to ‘significantly lower’ carbon emissions compared to petroleum derived virgin bottle: helping the company on its path to net zero emissions by 2050 across its whole value chain.

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