Sprite to retire green plastic bottles in favor of more environmentally friendly clear bottles

Sprite is trading in its iconic green plastic bottle for a new clear one that is more recyclable. 

On Wednesday, the Coca-Cola Company released a statement announcing that, starting Aug. 1, the company would be changing its packaging for the lemon-lime soda from green to clear plastic as part of an effort to reduce plastic waste. 

Sprite's current packaging contains green polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Although it is recyclable, it cannot be specifically recycled into new bottles. 

"Taking colors out of bottles improves the quality of the recycled material," Julian Ochoa, CEO of R3CYCLE, a plastic group working with Coca-Cola to help with bottle recycling, said in a statement. "This transition will help increase availability of food-grade rPET. When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into bottles, helping drive a circular economy for plastic."

Sprite bottles will also feature a revamped logo and packaging design, but will keep the recognizable green for its label. 

Other Coca-Cola beverages that use green bottles – including Fresca, Seagram's and Mello Yello – will switch to clear bottles in upcoming months, the company said. 

Coca-Cola also announced that a majority of Dasani bottles sold in the U.S. and Canada will be switched over to 100% plastic bottles beginning this summer. 

"We saw how much the 100% recycled PET message truly resonates with our customers and consumers, particularly DASANI fans whose sustainability expectations are especially high," said Chris Vallette, senior vice president of technical innovation and stewardship for Coca-Cola North America.