As the popularity of its “PlantBottle” continues to rise, the Coca-Cola Company (Atlanta, Georgia / USA; www.thecoca-colacompany.com) in late September announced that it had formed a partnership with Indian polyester and packaging group JBF Industries (Mumbai; www.jbfindia.com) under the terms of which the latter will build a bio-glycol facility in Araraquara, São Paulo / Brazil. The plant, which Coca-Cola says will be the largest of its kind on the world, will produce the key “PlantBottle” feedstock using locally derived sugarcane and sugarcane processing waste. Financial details were not disclosed, although the US group did say the funds would be born 100% by JBF and its overseas subsidiaries.

Construction of the plant is expected to begin in later 2012 with commissioning forecast for 2014. Once the facility starts operations, it will turn out 500,000 t/y of bio-glycol, the US drinks giant said. Commenting on the cooperation, Ronald Lewis, chief procurement officer at the Coca-Cola Company, said the deal would help the US group further expand global “PlantBottle” production. Coca-Cola plans to use its sugar-based ethanol “PlantBottle” packaging in every PET bottle it sells by 2020 – see Plasteurope.com of 10.02.2011.

Since first introducing the “PlantBottle” in 2009 (see Plasteurope.com of 27.11.2009), Coca-Cola has sold more than 10 bn units across the world. The packaging was launched in Denmark and later also marketed in North America, Mexico, Japan and Brazil. In mid-2011, Coca-Cola opened its first African “PlantBottle” operation in South Africa (see Plasteurope.com of 22.07.2011) and the sugar-based packaging is used for all 500ml Coca-Cola, Coke Zero and Diet Coke bottles sold in the UK – see Plasteurope.com of 22.09.2011. Today the packaging is available in 24 countries and used for a wide range of Coca-Cola products.