雪碧宣布放弃绿瓶！曾是“全球第一大塑料污染企业”......

Starting Aug. 1, the Coca-Cola Co., which produces Sprite, will package the lemon-lime drink in clear plastic bottles in North America, the company announced Wednesday.

Sprite's current plastic contains green polyethylene terephthalate (PET), an additive that can't be recycled into new bottles, a key initiative for the company as it looks to reduce plastic waste.

"When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into bottles, helping drive a circular economy for plastic." Julian Ochoa, CEO of R3CYCLE, a plastic group helping Coca-Cola improve its recycling, said in a statement.

Customers will also notice a revamped logo and packaging design on the Sprite bottles that aims to provide a more "consistent look and voice around the world," the company said. The well-known green hue will still be used on Sprite labels.

The beverage giant has often been criticized for contributing to environmentally damaging plastic waste. In 2020, the company was named as the world's No. 1 plastic polluter by the environmental firm Break Free From Plastic.

Environmental organizations say the problem with Sprite bottles is not the color, but the material: single-use plastic.