TOKYO, Dec. 17 (Kyodo) - Coca-Cola (Japan) Co. said Thursday it will introduce PET bottles made using bioethanol next spring for the first time in Japan.
The new plastic bottles, to be introduced in March to April, will be used for three of the company's products. Up to 30 percent of the oil-derived materials used in existing bottles will be replaced with bioethanol made from sugarcane, the company said.
By introducing the new bottles for the three products, the company expects to cut its use of crude oil by 2,045 kiloliters annually, it said.
The new bottles can be recycled at existing facilities as they are of the same weight and strength as the existing bottles, the company said.
Coca-Cola (Japan) Chairman Masahiko Uotani told a news conference that the company plans to produce plastic bottles in the future that are made completely from plant-derived materials.
