Recycled PET for India's first 100 % rPET beverage bottle produced by Srichakra Polyplast on Starlinger equipment

Coca-Cola India uses the new rPET bottle for its packaged drinking water brand Kinley, which is currently sold in one-litre bottles. The launch of the rPET bottle became possible after the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) approved the use of recycled PET in food packaging, following a thorough review of the material regarding food safety and compliance with its guidelines.

In a press statement, Enrique Ackermann, Vice President Technical and Innovation Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, said, "Aligned with our vision of creating a World Without Waste, we are constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental footprint and contribute towards creating a circular economy. We are proud to be the first beverage company in India to offer our consumers a sustainable choice of packaging by launching Kinley bottles made from 100% recycled PET. Our new bottles made with food-grade rPET have value beyond their initial use, as they are fully recyclable and can be repurposed into new bottles. This is also an endeavour on our part to complement the Government of India's 'Swachh Bharat Mission' (translated: Clean India Mission) initiative."

The Starlinger recoSTAR PET 165 iV+ PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line at Srichakra's production facility in Hyderabad, Telangana State, has taken up production in 2021 and was the first bottle-to-bottle recycling line Starlinger installed in India. It features technology for processing post-consumer PET bottles and has positive scientific opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and approvals from FSSAI. The produced rPET pellets are suitable for food-contact and can be used for food and beverage packaging like bottles for water and carbonated soft drinks, food trays, etc. The use of recycled plastics helps to reduce the need for virgin plastics significantly and avoids plastic waste going to landfills or polluting the environment. Srichakra has already ordered another two Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling lines which will be delivered beginning of 2024.