Plastic bottle, metal cap
In 2018, Snapple switched from it’s classic glass bottles with metal caps to plastic bottles that were still capped with metal lids. The combination of plastic bottle and metal cap was a first in U.S. beverage packaging.
Publicly, the transition to 100% recycled plastic (PET) was motivated by increasing the sustainability of Snapple’s packaging. The Snapple website proudly proclaims that “With a bottle that’s made from 100% recycled plastic*, uses less packaging material, and is filled with the same delicious Snapple flavors, we’re taking steps towards creating a more sustainable future.” The new bottle is made with recycled plastic, requires less material to make, and is lighter, which reduces emissions associated with shipping.
“Transitioning to recycled plastic bottles for two of our key brands is a critical next step in Keurig Dr Pepper’s commitment to a circular economy,” recalled Monique Oxender, Chief Sustainability Officer of Keurig Dr Pepper, Snapple’s then parent company. “This important portfolio evolution enables us to offer consumers their favorite beverages, while meeting their desire for more sustainable packaging.”
Snapple teamed up with its longtime partner, R&D/Leverage, a product design and mold manufacturer based in Lee’s Summit, Missouri to develop the new bottle. The goal was to produce a plastic bottle that mimicked the shape of the original glass bottle and retained the metal cap and it’s distinctive ‘pop’ when unscrewed.
“The Snapple consumer is very, very protective of the bottle shape, they’re protective of the pop, and they’re protective of the under-the-cap facts,” said Patrick George, Senior Director of Engineering for Dr Pepper Snapple Group. “If you don’t supply them with those three things, they’re not happy.” As a result, George explained, “We decided that success would mean that when the bottles were put side-by-side, we couldn’t tell the difference between glass and plastic.”
Plastic bottle and plastic cap
In 2020, Snapple revamped the design of their plastic bottle again and replaced the iconic metal cap with a recyclable plastic cap similar to those on plastic soda bottles. They also transitioned from wrapping paper labels around the body of the bottle to printing the labels directly on the bottle to make the bottles easier to recycle.
Real Facts numbers
Snapple Real Facts continued to be printed on the caps of the plastic bottles. To my knowledge, Real Fact #1501 was the last number printed on the plastic bottles with metal caps (although this article makes a case for #1504 being the last number on a metal cap).
I have never collected the plastic caps but, to my knowledge, the highest numbered Real Fact is #1926. Thus, the plastic caps are likely to exclusively include Real Facts #1502 (or #1504) to #1940.
References
Snapple Replicates its Iconic Bottle in Plastic— and Keeps the “Pop”. Plastics Technology. April 23, 2018.
Snapple switches to PET, but keeps the shape, cap, and ‘pop’. Packaging World. Anne Marie Mohan. May 26, 2018.
R&D/Leverage helped convert the iconic Snapple bottle to plastic without losing the ‘snap’. Plastics Today. Clare Goldsberry. February 19, 2018.