In a new trial, Sprite has removed the labels from the front of its bottles to stand out from its competition and boost recycling efforts.
Their 500ml Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles will have their labels temporarily removed during the pilot program. Instead of the label, an embossed logo will be placed in front of the bottles, and product and nutritional information will be laser engraved at the back.
This trial will last up till March, where the see through bottles will be on sale across eight Tesco Express locations in the UK.
What is the impact of this initiative? According to the company, even though their current labels are completely recyclable, taking them off will make recycling easier and reduce the usage of packaging materials. Thus, it will significantly save time.
Javier Meza, VP of marketing for Coca‑Cola Europe, expressed his contentment at this initiative: “The trial we are announcing today is a milestone for the industry. It’s the first time these two technologies have been used in a pilot globally, where a Coca‑Cola product will appear in a label-less, single-unit bottle sold in-store. Although the design change may sound simple, this is a big shift from a marketing perspective. This trial could contribute to longer-term changes to the way brands communicate with their consumers.”
This is not the first time Coca-Cola has tested removing labels from its beverages; they have also been conducted in Asian markets like South Korea and Japan. Furthermore, label-free bottles of the company’s Switzerland water brand Valser were introduced in September 2022.
