The Coca-Cola, Ford Motor, HJ Heinz, Nike and Procter & Gamble, have formed Plant PET Technology Collaborative (PTC), a strategic working group focused on accelerating the development and use of 100% plant-based PET materials and fiber in their products.
PTC members are committed to researching and developing commercial solutions for PET plastic made entirely from plants and will aim to drive the development of common methodologies and standards for the use of plant-based plastic including life cycle analyses and universal terminology.
The initiative is based on Coca-Cola's PlantBottle packaging technology, which is partially made from plants and has a lower environmental impact when compared to traditional PET plastic bottles.
Currently, Heinz licenses the technology from Coca-Cola for select Heinz ketchup bottles in the US and Canada.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) packaging senior program officer Erin Simon said sustainably managing natural resources and finding alternatives to fossil fuels are both business and environmental imperatives.