ATLANTA, December 21, 2011 -- Coca-Cola has announced multi-million dollar partnership agreements with three leading biotechnology companies to accelerate development of the first commercial solutions for next-generation PlantBottle™ packaging made 100% from plant-based materials.

This effort to commercialize a plastic bottle made entirely from plants builds on the Company's ground-breaking introduction and roll-out of its first generation PlantBottle™ package which was the first ever recyclable PET beverage bottle made partially from plants. Since introduced in 2009, the Company has already distributed more than 10 billion PlantBottle™ packages in 20 countries worldwide.

Agreements with Virent, Gevo and Avantium - industry leaders in developing plant-based alternatives to materials traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources - were signed following an in-depth two year analysis of different technologies by The Coca-Cola Company's R&D team and technical advisory board.

"While the technology to make bio-based materials in a lab has been available for years, we believe Virent, Gevo and Avantium are companies that possess technologies that have high potential for creating them on a global commercial scale within the next few years," said Rick Frazier, Vice President, Commercial Product Supply, The Coca-Cola Company.

"This is a significant R&D investment in packaging innovation and is the next step toward our vision of creating all of our plastic packaging from responsibly sourced plant-based materials."

Agreements with these three companies will help The Coca-Cola Company support its long-term commitments through sustainable practices in sourcing and packaging supply. While Virent, Gevo and Avantium will follow their own route to make bio-based materials, all materials will be developed in line with Company and industry recycling requirements.

"Virent's long term agreements with The Coca-Cola Company are pioneering milestones in the commercialization of our technology to produce plant-based materials" said Virent CEO Lee Edwards.

"Our patented technology features catalytic chemistry to convert plant-based sugars into a full range of products identical to those made from petroleum, including bio-based paraxylene - a key component needed to deliver 100% plant-based PET packaging."

PET made from Virent's bio-based paraxylene features the same high quality and recyclability as materials used today, with the added benefit of being made from a wide range of renewable materials. The company is targeting early 2015 for the opening of its first full-scale commercial plant.

"We are extremely gratified to have won the confidence of The Coca-Cola Company and are excited to support Coca-Cola's sustainable packaging goals with this agreement to develop and commercialize technology to produce paraxylene from bio-based isobutanol," said Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo.

"New technologies need champions. The Coca-Cola Company is in a unique position to drive and influence change in the global packaging supply chain with this development. You cannot ask for a better champion than one of the most respected and admired consumer brands."

The Coca-Cola Company's first generation PlantBottle™ packaging is the only fully recyclable PET bottle made with up to 30% plant-based material available today. PlantBottle™ packaging is made up of two components: MEG (mono-ethylene glycol), which makes up 30% of the PET, and is already made from plant materials, and PTA (purified terephthalic acid), which makes up the other 70%. In this next step, PTA will be replaced with plant-based materials, too.

PlantBottle™ packaging makes a difference by reducing dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels and minimizing the carbon impact of PET plastic. It is estimated the use of PlantBottle™ packaging in the first two years alone has helped save the equivalent annual emissions of more than 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Coca-Cola will continue to make investments in PlantBottle™ technology and aims to use PlantBottle™ packaging for the Company's entire virgin PET supply by 2020.