Coca-Cola Amatil has announced plans to stock fully recyclable and biodegradable Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited paper straws in place of plastic drinking straws or stirrers in Australia.
The paper straws, which will be made available through Amatil’s ordering platform, will be sourced from BioPak and Austraw. They will be distributed to around 115,000 outlets, including grocery, petrol and convenience stores, bars, cafes as well as quick-service restaurants across Australia.
Coca-Cola Amatil Group managing director Alison Watkins said the move is part of the company’s efforts to reduce single-use plastics.
Watkins said: “We’ve heard the community message loud and clear that unnecessary packaging is unacceptable and we all need to work together to reduce the amount entering litter streams, the environment and the oceans.”
The company plans to discontinue distribution of the old single-use plastic drinking straws and stirrers over the next two months, with the new sustainable paper straws set to be offered next month.
Coca-Cola Amatil noted that work was continuing on sustainable solutions for straws on packaging supplied by Tetra Pak, in addition to plastic spoons and scoops that are used with frozen drinks.
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By GlobalDataAccording to Watkins, the latest move was aimed at making complete Coca-Cola Amatil’s Australian packaging fully recyclable by 2025. This includes all bottles, cans, plastic wrap, straws, glass and cardboard.
Watkins concluded: “We are working towards phasing out unnecessary and problematic single-use plastics entirely through improved design, innovation or the use of recycled alternatives.”
Last year, Coca-Cola Amatil announced plans to use at least 60% renewable or low-carbon energy in its operations by 2020.
The company also announced its intention to develop the business case for a weighted average of 50% recycled plastic in PET containers across the country’s portfolio.
The Coca-Cola Company is developing sustainable packaging goals to increase the recycled content in plastic bottles.