The makers of Pepsi have announced their plans for changing their two-liter soda bottles. They confirmed this new development on Nov. 16, 2020. The company further stated they will be changing their bottle design for more than two dozen soda names. This list will include Crush, Mountain Dew, Schweppes Ginger Ale, and Dr. Pepper.
They further stated that their new bottle designs will begin appearing in stores in Wisconsin, Chicago, and Minneapolis-St. Paul on November 23. The company also stated that they will release their new design nationwide sometime in the “near future.”
The New Design
The company wanted to create a bottle that fits comfortably in its consumer’s hands. To do this they had to gather information on the size of an average human hand. According to the data, Pepsi discovered the average human hand ranges from seven – 8.6 inches.
The new bottle design brings the old 13.4 circumferences to a “more manageable” size of 10.4 inches. PepsiCo also announced that they have used 24 percent less in materials. These are the first significant changes that the company has made in the past three decades. In addition, the grip of the new two-liter bottles uses “existing manufacturing capabilities to prevent additional plastic use.”
Pepsi’s new bottle design is only part of the companies plans to convert its packaging to 100 percent recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable materials. They hope to successfully have this completed within the next five years.
Emily Silver — Vice president of innovation and capabilities for PepsiCo North America — stated that the new design “makes it substantially easier for consumers to grab bottles off the shelf and to pour at home.” She further stated that the whole process took “an immense amount of work,” making the new design a possibility.
Over a decade ago Coca-Cola changed their two-liter design. Immediately after they changed their design, Coca-Cola saw a boost in their sales.
Upcoming Changes
On July 14, 2020, PepsiCo announced they had joined the consortium of global consumer goods companies. Included in this group is Unilever. Pepsi joined the group to assist in solving the world’s plastic waste issues.
The company hopes to create a bottle made completely out of recycled paper. They are making the bottle out of the sustainably sourced pulp. The bottle is made to meet all food-safe standards. PepsiCo hopes to be able to test their paper bottle in 2021.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Sources:
CNN: Pepsi unveils first 2-liter bottle redesign in nearly 30 years; Jordan Valinsky
PepsiCo: PEPSICO PARTNERS TO DESIGN RECYCLABLE PAPER BOTTLES
Fast Company: After 30 years, PepsiCo redesigned the two-liter bottle. Here’s why; Mark Wilson
Featured Image Courtesy of Mike Mozart’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Brent Moore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
