The Real Reason Sprite Will No Longer Use Green Bottles

For over six decades, Americans have been "obeying their thirst" and reaching for a green bottle of Sprite to satisfy their need for lemon-lime, fizzy goodness. All these years later, Sprite is the world's 12th "most valuable soft drink brand" and is extremely popular among ages 18 to 29 with 46% consuming this beverage within a four-week period in 2018 (via Statista). While you may be familiar with this iconic brand, there are some interesting facts that might surprise you.

Did you know that Sprite originated across the Atlantic? According to Sprite Fandom, Germany's Fanta first developed this beverage and called it "Clear Lemon Fanta." Another fun fact: Sprite once dabbled in the world of street art. Express and Star reveals that in 2001, Sprite commissioned graffiti artist, Temper, to design a special can. The final product earned the praise of Banksy, who said, "Flippin' hell. How can anyone top that?" Sprite has also had its share of controversy. Reverend Jesse Jackson said that its former mascot, Miles Thirsty, promoted a stereotypical image of African Americans (per Wall Street Journal). Needless to say, the uber-cool, rapper action figure found himself on the unemployment line. 

Yes, Sprite has led an eventful life and is now embarking on a new chapter. It's shedding its familiar green bottles in favor of clear. Yes, your future Sprite bottles will look completely different, and here's why.  

Food & Wine shared that Coca-Cola, the company that owns the Sprite brand, has announced that Sprite sold in the United States and Canada will all come in clear bottles by August 1. Why have they decided to shed their iconic green packaging? According to NBC News, the current green bottles are recyclable, but due to their coloring, they cannot be turned into new bottles. By opting for a colorless version, they are not only making an item that is better suited to recycling, but they will be enabling a "circular economy for plastic." A statement released by Coca-Cola shares its goals of "saving more than 20 million pounds of new plastic" and "cutting more than 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2023." If all this can be accomplished by scrapping colored bottles, it sounds like a wise decision. 

This plan also includes swapping out the green bottles associated with Fresca and Mello Yello and using 100% plastic bottles for Dasani (via CBS News). That's not all. CNN reveals that Coca-Cola will be doing a total revamp of Sprite's labeling in order to create a more consistent and easily recognizable image globally, adding that the color green will still play an important role. 

It likely won't take long for Sprite lovers to embrace the new packaging. After all, it will still taste exactly the same and that's what matters.