Today in class we discussed companies partnering on sustainability initiatives. The collaboration I brought to discussion was Coca-Cola, P&G, Ford, Heinz, and Nike’s strategic alliance aimed at accelerating the development and use of 100% plant-based PET materials and fibers in consumer products and focusing on petroleum-free alternatives. They call themselves the Plant PET Technology Collaborative (PTC). In case you’re not familiar with what PET is, here’s a definition from Sustainable Brands:
“PET, also known as polyethylene terephthalate, is a durable, lightweight plastic that is used in a variety of products and materials including plastic bottles, apparel, footwear and automotive fabric and carpet.”
So far, we’ve come across partially plant-based PET bottles, “PlantBottle”, on store shelves thanks to Coca-Cola’s pioneering efforts. However, while 100% plant-based PET is actually possible with current technologies, it isn’t yet commercially viable, meaning it’s too costly to produce on a large-scale basis.
Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle packaging has 30% of its plastic derived from sugarcane and molasses, which reduces up to 25% of carbon emissions compared to conventional PET plastic (which uses a significant amount of fossil fuels, water, and energy). Heinz has already licensed the technology for use in some of its ketchup bottles. Nike plans on leveraging the technology to create plant-based fibers for use in althetic apparel. I predict P&G would begin applying the technology first to the many containers of their CPG products that heavily use plastic.
These companies are not in competing sectors, which of course, is what allowed them to team up for improving this technology for the benefit of the environment, but more importantly, for their individual competitive advantages. No matter how the alliance came about, we’re happy to see companies working together to improve business practices for the benefit of the environment and Earth’s future.
“According to a release, PTC members aim to drive the development of common methodologies and standards for the use of plant-based plastic including life cycle analyses and universal terminology.”
This quote is a perfect example demonstrating the advantages of sustainability partnerships. By collaborating resources to develop technology and set common standards and terminology, the global marketplace will not only receive a better result faster, but also benefit from a clear consensus of what plant-based PET really is, how it benefits the environment, and why consumers should choose it. I can’t wait for the day that plant-based PET products completely replace conventional PET products on our store shelves.
Source(s):
http://www.ecouterre.com/nike-coca-cola-pg-team-up-to-boost-100-plant-based-pet-plastic/