Anchor has announced it's launching New Zealand's very first plant-based bottle, using natural, renewable and sustainably-sourced sugarcane.
The dairy brand, which is owned by parent company Fonterra, says the trial across the North Island could see over 300,000 Kiwis make the change to the plant-based bottle alternative.
According to Anchor, the sugarcane bottle is 100 percent kerbside recyclable and also has a lower carbon footprint, as sugarcane captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows.
Made into plant-based HDPE plastic in Brazil, the sugarcane is an alternative to bottles made from non-renewable sources like fossil fuels.
"We know sustainability is important to Kiwis and we want to offer consumers an option to make change for good - to purchase a product that comes in more sustainable packaging," says Fonterra NZ Managing Director Brett Henshaw.
"This plant-based milk bottle is an important component in Fonterra's wider sustainability strategy.
"We have also committed to moving towards renewable energy in transport and manufacturing and finding ways to manage and reduce our emissions over the whole supply chain."
Initially only Blue-top milk will be available in the plant-based bottles across the North Island, but the company says it hopes to expand nationwide if it proves a success.
Fonterra has made several efforts in recent years to transition to more sustainable efforts.
Last year, the dairy co-op announced it would begin to slowly transition away from coal, putting a stop to installing any new coal boilers or increasing capacity to burn coal.
