Suntory unveils plant-based PET bottle prototype after decade-long development

03 Dec 2021 --- Suntory Group has created a prototype PET bottle from 100% plant-based materials for Orangina in Europe and Suntory Tennensui bottled mineral water in Japan. The beverage producer aims to eliminate all petroleum-based virgin plastic from its global PET supply by 2030. 

The PET is produced using two raw materials, 70% terephthalic acid (PTA) and 30% mono-ethylene glycol (MEG).

The prototype bottle is made by combining Anellotech’s 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. Suntory has been using the MEG for its Suntory Tennensui brand in Japan since 2013.

“We’re delighted with this achievement, as it brings us one step closer to delivering this [environmentally] sustainable PET bottle to the hands of our consumers,” comments Tsunehiko Yokoi, executive officer at Suntory Monozukuri Expert.

“The significance of this technology is the PTA is produced from non-food biomass to avoid competition with the food chain, while MEG is also derived from non-food grade feedstock.”

The fully recyclable prototype plant-based bottle is estimated to lower carbon emissions significantly compared to petroleum-derived virgin bottles.Suntory’s plant-based bottle is estimated to lower carbon emissions significantly against petroleum-derived virgin bottles.

“Painstaking” R&D process
The plant-based bottle marks a breakthrough for Suntory after a nearly decade-long partnership with US-based technology company Anellotech.

“This achievement is the result of over ten years of thorough and painstaking development work by Anellotech’s dedicated employees, together with Suntory and other partners,” says David Sudolsky, president and CEO at Anellotech.

“The competitive advantage of Anellotech’s Bio-TCat generated paraxylene is its process efficiency, which uses a single-step thermal catalytic process by going directly from biomass to aromatics (benzene, toluene and xylene), and the opportunity it creates for a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to its identical fossil-derived paraxylene in the manufacture of PET, especially as it generates required process energy from the biomass feedstock itself.”

Bioplastics boom
The plant-based bottle prototype arrives after European Bioplastics (EUBP) revealed global bioplastics production will more than triple over the next five years (2021-2026), according to market data compiled in cooperation with the nova-Institute.

Meanwhile, Asia further strengthened its position as a major production hub, with almost 50% of bioplastics currently being produced in the region. Notably, Asia is predicted to surpass 70% market share by 2026. 

Almost a fourth of the production capacity is still located in Europe. However, EUBP predicts Europe’s share and the share of other world regions will significantly decrease within the next five years as Asian production strengthens.EUBP estimates global bioplastics production will more than triple over the next five years.

Moreover, the European Bioeconomy Alliance has criticized the EU’s methodology for Life Cycle Assessments comparing bio-based with conventional plastics, labeling it “not fit for purpose” and favorable to fossil-based options.

In similar developments, Coca-Cola unveiled a plant-based PET bottle prototype in October. The beverage giant has produced a limited run of 900 bottles, confirming the prototypes are recyclable within existing recycling infrastructures, alongside PET from oil-based sources.

Suntory serves up sustainability
Suntory’s plant-based bottle is one of the latest investments in its history of addressing the social and environmental impacts of containers and packaging. In 1997, the company established its “Guidelines for the Environmental Design of Containers and Packaging.”

For plastic bottles specifically, it has used its 2R+B (Reduce/Recycle + Bio) strategy to reduce the weight of containers, including labels and caps, and actively introduced recycled or plant-based materials in its plastic bottles globally.

Significantly, it has created the lightest bottle cap, thinnest bottle label, and lightest PET bottle produced in Japan to date, it highlights.

“This plant-based bottle prototype honors our historic dedication while shining a light, not only on our path to achieving our 2030 fully [environmentally] sustainable PET bottle goal but also toward our ambition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the entire value chain by 2050,” notes Tomomi Fukumoto, COO of sustainability management at Suntory.

Last year, Suntory Beverage and Food GB and Ireland brand Ribena minimized its labels, ensuring bottles can be easily identified, sorted and recycled using standard industry technology. The blackcurrant drink also incorporates 100 percent recycled PET.

By Joshua Poole