We are all used to seeing labels on the drinks we buy. Most commercial soft drinkscome in a plastic bottle with a label that bears the brand’s logoalongside other information, such as a list of __1__. However, major beverage companies in Japan are now bucking this trend by selling drinks in label-free plastic bottles via e-commercechannels.
Some major brands, including Asahi and Coca-Cola, have realized that because they already have a large loyal customer base, customers __2__ in large quantities online trust them to the point where they do not need to see the information that usually comes on a label.
There appear to be two main reasons why this change to label-free packaging is favorable. First, Japan has relatively strict rules for plastic recycling. Before a PETbottle can be __3__ for recycling, people must separate the bottle cap and label from the bottle. Second, because of the COVID-19 outbreak, more consumers are now purchasing food and beverage items online __4__. For these reasons, eliminating the label is highly convenient for consumers who wish to conform to the country’s recycling rules.
In addition to major drink companies, the Japanese government has also assisted in this effort. In 2020, it introduced a new law which permits the sale of drinks in __5__ bottles.
Label-free packaging for e-commerce goods appears to be a system that is beneficial for corporations, the government, and consumers in Japan. This idea could therefore be considered in other countries to both stimulate industry growth and reduce global plastic waste.
