Coca-Cola to roll out 'twist' bottles for UK water business

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has launched a new ‘twist’ bottle format and label for its Abbey Well Spring Water, which aims to be more environmentally friendly and encourage consumers to recycle more. The new design of bottles, said CCEP, is the result of a £14 million ($17.8 million) investment at its bottling facility in Morpeth, England. The bottle requires less energy to make, transport and recycle and uses up to 32 percent less plastic than in the previous bottle design, CCEP said. Designed by the United Kingdom-based packaging consultancy Kinneir Dufort, the bottles are 100 percent recyclable and encourage recycling by featuring a new label with the wording "recycle me" on the outside of the bottle. According to Merle Hall, managing director, Kinneir Dufort, the design can be scaled across sizes and enables Coca-Cola to harmonize its water business across multiple markets. The new bottle will be introduced for Abbey Well still water in the 500 milliliter size, 750ml sports cap, 250ml sports cap and sparkling water 500ml, and will be rolling out in stores from December onwards. “With the water sector continuing to grow, it’s more important than ever to minimize our environmental impact and encourage more recycling,” said Caroline Cater, director of operational marketing at Coca-Cola European Partners. “Reducing material usage whilst ensuring the bottle remains recyclable is really important for resource efficiency,” said Linda Crichton, head of resource management, Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP), praising Coca-Cola for the invention.