FIJI Switches to 100% Recycled Plastic Bottles for Canadian Market

FIJI water bottle with island background

(Credit: The Wonderful Company)

by | Dec 14, 2023

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FIJI Water said it will transition its 500-milliliter and 330-milliliter bottles to 100% recycled plastic in Canadian markets by the end of the year.

According to FIJI, this will replace about 70% of the company’s bottle volume with recycled material, making progress towards its goal of transitioning all of its bottles to rPET, or recycled plastic, by 2025. The recycled plastic is used for the FIJI bottle but does not include the cap and label.

With this development, FIJI joins other major drink companies in transitioning to the use of recycled plastic, specifically in the Canadian market. In October of this year, Coca-Cola announced that all of its 500 ml sparkling beverage bottles sold in Canada will be made with 100% recycled plastic by early 2024.

“In our transition to recycled plastic, we aim to make a truly meaningful and lasting impact,” said Wai Mei Lee, vice president of international for FIJI Water. “In using recycled plastic, we give new life to existing materials while maintaining the same great taste, look, and quality that consumers expect from FIJI Water.”

In addition to its efforts to reduce plastic waste, FIJI has invested about $2.97 million in energy efficiency initiatives on the Fijian Islands to reduce emissions. The company has also led initiatives to support access to clean water, healthcare, and grants for schools and organizations for native Fijians.

FIJI is also a division of The Wonderful Company, which has invested over $1.72 billion in sustainability initiatives and is a member of RE100, a group of companies that aim to shift to 100% renewable electricity.

Corporations Pushed to Reduce Plastic Waste, Proposed Legislation to Enforce Changes

According to the UN Environmental Programme, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic are dumped into the world’s water systems each day. Studies have also shown that the large majority of plastic pollution ends up in developing countries that lack the infrastructure to properly manage such large amounts of waste.

As a result, companies known to produce large amounts of plastic have been called upon to find plastic alternatives and increase the use of recycled plastic in their products. Oceana Canada recently released a report suggesting bans on unnecessary, hard-to-recycle plastics as well as legislation to support recycling targets, refill systems, and removal of non-recyclable packaging at supermarkets.

Although Canada’s single-use plastics ban was recently overturned in court, the government reportedly has plans for an appeal and aims to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030.

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