Pepsi to introduce cola in glass bottles that don't need to be returned

NEW DELHI: After shifting its focus to healthier products, PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd has turned to a healthier option in packaging. The local arm of American food and beverages company PepsiCo Inc. has introduced non-returnable glass bottle with a twist-and-turn cap for Pepsi Black, a zero-calorie carbonated beverage.

This is first time a carbonated beverage maker is selling cola in glass bottles that consumers do not need to return at the point of sale. Besides, the bottles can be re-used at home. So far, Pepsi Black was available in cans and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Other carbonated beverages sold by PepsiCo are available in returnable glass bottles - a form of packaging that has been getting replaced by PET fast. In the past four years, according to PepsiCo's internal estimates, glass bottles dropped to around 19% of total carbonated beverages packaging from around 46%. Companies have even brought single-serve PET bottles (250 ml and 300 ml) to eventually replace returnable glass bottles.

"Consumers are moving away from returnable glass bottles fast because of a bunch of reasons. There are hygiene issues (because of tip cap) and consumers' mindset is changing. Also, retailers are not happy with consumers blocking space in front of the store until they finish their drinks just to return the glass bottles. Besides, the cost of logistics is high," said a top executive at a cola company, on condition of anonymity. Non-returnable glass bottles come with a lot of advantages.