Suntory reveals 100% plant-based bottle
The bottle has been developed after a nearly decade-long partnership with US-based sustainable tech company Anellotech.
Suntory aims to commercialize the bottle as soon as possible to meet its 2030 goal of eliminating all petroleum-based virgin plastic from its global PET supply.
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 PTA is produced from non-food biomass; while the MEG is derived from non-food grade feedstock.
The fully recyclable prototype plant-based bottle is also estimated to ‘significantly lower’ carbon emissions compared to petroleum derived virgin bottle: helping the company on its path to net zero emissions by 2050 across its whole value chain.