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Pepsico makes PET bottles from plant waste
by Anter Prakash Singh - March 16, 2011 - comments
Pepsico announced that it has achieved success in making a PET bottle out of Plant waste which is completely renewable
Pepsico announced on Tuesday that it has achieved success in creating what according to it is a plastic bottle made fully from plant based, organic material and completely renewable resources.
It is being hailed as a company's successful effort to counter environmental concerns, and the development can also give a marketing edge to the company in the never ending cola war.
Plastic bottle made from renewable material
At the molecular level, the bottle is a clone of the present plastic bottle but instead of being made from resin polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the new bottle is made from 100 percent agricultural waste and is completely recyclable.
In the cola wars, every little bit means something. It’s a game of perception. It can tip the balance, at least for a while
The bottle does not use any petroleum product but relies on organic material like pine bark, switch grass and corn husks.
Eventually, Pepsico aims at using agricultural byproducts generated by its own food processing businesses like orange peels, oat hulls, potato peels and others. The company sells food products under Frito-lay, Quaker and Tropicana.
Allen Hershkowitz, scientist at the Natural Resources Defence Council said: “It’s closing the loop. It's the beginning of the end for petroleum-based plastic bottles.”
The process
Pepsico was successful in achieving the right fermentation process using the plant material. While polyethylene accounts for about 30 percent of the total weight in making PET, this part is already commercially exploited as Coke is making its 30 percent renewable PET bottles.
Pepsico went a step further and discovered the process to make the second part teraphthalate, which is the 70 percent part of PET, out of the plants.
Denise Lefebvre, senior director of the advanced research at Pepsico said, “We have been the one to crack the code on that. This space is emerging so much that we’ve been able to develop and piece together various technologies to make this.”
The combination of these technologies allowed pepsico to make PET bottles entirely from plants.
Lefebvre said that the new bottle is as clear and sturdy as the present bottles in use today as it is chemically equivalent to these PET bottles.
New bottle gives Pepsico an edge
Coca Cola has been using its own “plant bottle” nearly two years ago which was made from 30 percent plant material, specifically sugar cane waste.
Ketchup maker, H.J. Heinz Co. also announced recently that it is also planning to use the renewable bottles from Coke.
But the Pepsico bottle is made completely from plant waste and this gives them an edge.
Marketing Professor at the University of Notre Dame, Carol Phillips said, “it could be a game changer for them. In the cola wars, every little bit means something. It’s a game of perception. It can tip the balance, at least for a while.”