Coca-Cola Co. has now distributed more than 25 billion PlantBottles since their introduction five years ago.
The company, in its just released sustainability report, indicates that the bottles that include up to 30 percent PET made from sugar cane and sugar cane processing waste are now distributed in nearly 40 countries.
Using this plant-based PET means that the Atlanta-based company has saved more than 525,000 barrels of oil during the life of the program.
While the company only is using sugar cane and sugar cane processing waste, Coca-Cola hopes to one day use other plant residue such as plant stems, fruit peels and even bark to make PET.
Coca-Cola has a goal of using PlantBottle packaging for all PET bottles by 2020.
In developed markets, the company also has a goal of recovering an equivalent of 75 percent of the bottles and cans it introduces.
The sustainability report is available at www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainability/.