The Kirin Group and retailer Lawson will install polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle collection machines outside convenience stores, which will then be recycled back into bottles for beverage manufacturers.
Kirin has developed a thin film deposition technology for use in PET bottles, which claims to be lighter, more eco-friendly and prevents gas permeation.
Coca-Cola has opted to increase the recyclability of its Sprite bottles in the South East Asian region by converting all new bottles from green to clear.
PET bottled coffee are increasingly popular amongst younger Japanese office workers, and is key sales driver amid a shrinking ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee market in Japan, according to Suntory.