Keurig Dr Pepper: Snapple’s Transition to 100% Recycled Plastic Packaging

CPP Roadmap Target #4

Project Timeline

2019-2021

The Circular Solution 

Snapple’s most recent refresh is a great example of how Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) has integrated its corporate goals and ambitions by bringing them to life through a brand on shelf.

The 473mL Snapple bottle first transitioned from glass to virgin PET in 2019, and then to 100% post-consumer recycled PET (rPET) in 2021 (excluding the cap and label) across Canada.

By removing the metal closure and using a recycle-friendly polyester label, the package’s recyclability potential is greatly improved.

Outcomes

In comparison to the initial glass bottle, this new rPET packaging is 80% lighter than glass, which generates a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions because a greater number of rPET bottles can be transported on the same size truck as glass bottles, and therefore, resulting on less trucks on the road.

Since the transition to a plastic rPET bottle in Canada, KDP Canada has reduced its virgin plastic use by over 365 tons, based on the weight of virgin plastic and the volume of Snapple bottles sold in 2021 and 2022.

Next Steps

Keurig Dr Pepper plans to continue educating and informing consumers across North America to recycle bottles and follow the How2Recycle label, which is an industry-leading standardized labeling system that communicates recycling instructions.