The Paint-Less Coca-Cola Would Save Earth One Can at a Time

[Are_grits_groceries]

It doesn't only look beautiful, and it would make Jon Ive and Steve Jobs wet, but this naked Coca-Cola can would help save energy while reducing air and water pollution. Would it really make a difference? Let's do some math:

I assume the consumption only increases through time, but let's take the daily 2007 numbers from Global INForM Cases Sales database: The total number of Coca-Cola cans sold per worldwide is 67,873,309. Diet Coke and Coke Zero sold 35,387,241, while My Coke sold 103,260,550. Yes, that's all per day.

So using only classic Coca-Cola's daily sales figures, that means 24,773,757,785 are sold every year. Twenty-four billion cans. That is indeed a lot of paint and paint removal products. Because this doesn't only affect the production. It also affects the recycling process, eliminating one step:

The naked can help to reduce air and water pollution occurred in its coloring process. It also reduces energy and effort to separate toxic color paint from aluminum in recycling process. Huge amount of energy and paint required to manufacture colored cans will be saved. Instead of toxic paint, manufacturers process aluminum with a pressing machine that indicates brand identity on surface.

Sounds good to me, and it even looks better if you take into account all kinds of Coke. That brings up the number to 75,380,201,500 cans. I don't know how much paint that represents, but I'm guessing quite a few thousand tons. <7760 via Likecool, Sales info from Let's Get Together>

http://gizmodo.com/5408251/the-paint+less-coca+cola-would-save-earth-one-can-at-a-time

Interesting idea with some kinks to be worked out. That can is a cool look.

[RB TexLa]

1. I've wondered why no beverage company has done this. It's bottom line cutting with PR benefits on

top.

[jmowreader]

7. Two reasons I can think of...

The most important reason: a UPC barcode that's not printed on the can wouldn't scan. It would also be rough to do a legible list of ingredients and Nutrition Facts statement without print.

The other? Coca-Cola's corporate color is red.

Not sure about the bottom line benefits; they'd save money on paint but spend it on debossing the can.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

13. Three or four square inches could take care of that. It'd use up about 95% less paint. -nt

[Greyhound]

2. Looks good and washes down the Maker's Mark better than Pepsi. n/t

:thumbsup:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. how many people will that put out of

work, and where?

[Frank Cannon]

4. OH NO!! It will end my career as a certified Aluminum Can Paint Stripper!!

:eyes:

[Jester Messiah]

18. It'll put a fine crew of robots out of a job, for sure!

However, there are those who maintain those robots, and those employed in the production of those robots (or factory painting gear, whatever), as well as those involved in creating the paint. Economies of scale and all that.

Still, the "naked" can is damn cool, and the paint can be used on other products. I'm all for it!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

32. I did not say I was not for it

I just like to think about things that others might not

[Meeker Morgan]

5. More empty posturing that saves nothing. n/t

[Are_grits_groceries]

6. Kind of like your post? nt

[Meeker Morgan]

27. Because proving your heart is pure is the important thing, right?

[pipoman]

20. It may save coke money on the paint

leaving them more profit per can. Other than that the nonsense about the paint removal is just that...as if every aluminum maker is going to quit painting their containers, or that somehow there is savings in sorting out the coke cans from the depainting process...they will still go through the depainting process just like the zillions of other cans will..much ado about a merchandising scheme, and many suckers who will buy into the scheme..

[liberal N proud]

8. Cool looking can

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Maybe if we people stopped drinking Coke, it would save even more of the planet.

All the water saved, for one thing.

74 billion cans a day.....I am flabbergasted. Coke sells for what? 1.00 a can?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

10. US$ 1.20 minimum here. Most often, US$ 1.40. -nt

[Lagomorph]

11. They'd still drink the water...

which, in many places is kinda yucky.

I drink caf-free diet coke.

I hope my can looks cooler than regular coke so I pick the right one.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. Caf-free diet coke?

You DO already drink kinda yucky water.

[Lagomorph]

34. I like the taste.

The tap water in Marysville/Yuba City, CA not so much.

In my part of the world, water only needs to be filtered (if even that) and it tastes good.

[hobbit709]

14. That is just brown water with fizz added.

[Jester Messiah]

19. Cease your blasphemy.

You'll be having a go at coffee next... and life without coffee is a joyless existence in which I refuse to participate!

[tabbycat31]

26. I gave up soda 3 years ago

occasionally I crave a sip of it (usually when I am around my soda drinking parents) and that satisfys it.

[HuckleB]

31. Ding! DING! DING! EXACTLY!

[Lagomorph]

35. Nihilist!

OK, that's it! Give up soda? Come and take it!

[geckosfeet]

15. I drink the stuff maybe once every two or three years. But this is a good idea.

[JoeyT]

16. The only downside is that it comes from Coca Cola.

I tend to take anything from Coca Cola corporation with a big grain of salt.
If they're doing anything that's good for someone, it's only because they figured out it was cheaper.
Which is still a refreshing change from all the horrific things they do because they're cheaper.

Hey Coke, gonna stop being in the top twenty companies in the world for worker abuse? Didn't think so.

Edited to add: Recced because it's still a really cool idea, even if it is Coca Cola doing it.

[Shagbark Hickory]

17. It's fine for all the vision-impaired soda drinkers but everyone else will probable switch to some

other beverage. They need the color logo printed on the cans in order to sell the shit.

[Are_grits_groceries]

25. I would have thought so until I saw the can.

That will stand out loudly compared to all the others. Imagine standing back from a display case where all varieties are marketed. That would catch your eye first.

[Taitertots]

21. So are they going to cut the prices?

Just a big hustle to increase profits.

[blogslut]

22. That is one sexy can

My re-use/recycle imaginator button just got turned on. They could be used as shells for speakers. Slice the top off and file down the rough edges and have some sweet pen holders or drinking cups or planters or...

Oh, and it's nice that the professional recyclers would save a step as well.

:hi:

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

23. Cool... the blind can now choose Coke over Pepsi,

:silly:

[endless october]

24. just imagine what a return to glass bottles would do.

can be washed and re-used.

i'm not a fan of plastic bottles. instant landfill waste.

[NightWatcher]

28. cans are more enviro-friendly

1. less weight to transport when full to the stores and when empty to the recycler
2. 99.99% of an aluminium can can be reused over and over and over
3. if they do end up in a landfill, cans can be flattened to take up less room

[Heidi]

29. This is a beautiful design concept by Ryan+Harc (NY-based industrial designers).

Not sure how functional it is, or whether Coca-Cola would be willing to toss the branded Coca-Cola red out the window, but it's intriguing.

Here's the design firm responsible for the unibody Coca-Cola can concept: http://www.7760.org/

[Odin2005]

30. Those look cool.

Very futuristic.

[PHIMG]

33. they do doubt conclude it will negatively impact sales

and therefore dismiss it. just like the cigarette companies and some of their cancer causing additives.