Suntory Group announced last week the launch of a new plant-based bottle prototype for its Orangina brand in Europe, along with its best-selling bottled mineral water in Japan, Suntory Tennensui. “This is a crucial step in the company’s aim to use only 100% sustainable PET bottles globally by 2030 and eliminate all petroleum-based virgin plastic from its global PET supply. This announcement marks a breakthrough after a nearly decade-long partnership with the US-based sustainable technology company Anellotech,” stressed Suntory Group in a statement.
Suntory aims to commercialise this 100% plant-based bottle as soon as possible to meet its 2030 fully sustainable PET bottle goal.
The significance of this technology is that the PTA is produced from non-food biomass to avoid competition with the food chain, while MEG is also derived from non-food grade feedstock.
Tsunehiko Yokoi, Executive Officer of Suntory MONOZUKURI Expert Ltd
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 fully recyclable prototype plant-based bottle is estimated to significantly lower carbon emissions compared to petroleum derived virgin bottle, an important contribution to the company’s path to net zero emissions by 2050 across its whole value chain.
