Getting Naked Is Good for the Planet

If you thought your Green Machine, Mighty Mango or Chai Spiced Cider tasted good already, get a taste of this fresh-squeezed idea. Naked Juice, America's reigning juice-maker of sugar and preservative-free (naked, get it?) smoothies and juices has just announced the release of its “reNEWabottle,” a drinking vessel manufactured from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. A subsidiary of PepsiCo, Naked's initiative seeks to reduce virgin plastic consumption by 8.1 million pounds per year. According to Anne Johnson, director of GreenBlue's Sustainable Packaging Coalition, “This innovation sends a signal to the market that there are end markets for materials if we recycle more.”

Starting in July, Naked plans to convert all of its 32 ounce bottles to reNEWabottles, transitioning the rest of their products to the new container by 2010. Rather than the translucent plastic now seen in Naked juices, the easily recyclable reNEWabottles will feature clear, see-through plastic. According to a Naked juice press release, “the initial July 32 ounce bottle transition reduces virgin plastic consumption by 1 million pounds per year and oil use by 8,192 barrels every year — the equivalent of taking 487 cars off of the road.” By the end of the transition, Naked will save 51,000 barrels of oil per year, equivalent to 3,460 fewer cars on the roads. And where will these reNEWabottles be filled with those sumptuous flavors? At Naked's new bottling facility, an environmentally responsible building designed to meet LEED certification.

“If you were plastic, wouldn't you like to come back as a Naked Juice bottle?” asked Mikel Durham, Naked Juice's general manager. “With the new Naked reNEWabottle, consumers can reduce, reuse, recycle ... reincarnate!"

Photo courtesy of Aatrek/Wikipedia Creative Commons.