Califia Farms uses 100 percent-recycled bottles in North America

Plant-based beverage brand Califia Farms has transitioned all of its bottles in the U.S. and Canada to 100 percent-recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) in a move it says reflects its efforts to curb demand for new plastic, reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 19 percent and cut its energy use in half.

The Los Angeles-based brand’s portfolio of refrigerated plant milks, creamers, coffees and tea are affected by the change.  

“This transition to 100 percent rPET represents a significant commitment to soften Califia’s environmental footprint,” Califia Farms CEO Dave Ritterbush says. “While Califia is an inherently sustainable business thanks to the plant-based products we produce, we recognize the importance of ongoing, forward progress in our sustainability journey. By moving to 100 percent rPET for our iconic curvy bottle, we’re taking a major step in reducing our reliance on virgin plastic and advancing the principles of a circular economy.” 

Through the brand’s sustainability programs, Califia has completed several light-weighting projects it says have helped decrease the total amount of plastic used in its caps, bottles and labels. Between 2019 and 2023, these efforts have avoided the use of 4 million pounds of plastic.  

“Replacing virgin plastic with recycled plastic is a critical part of ‘closing the loop’ in a circular economy,” says Ella Rosenbloom, vice president of sustainability at Califia Farms. “When it comes to circularity, we’re focused on accelerating change and thoughtfully considering how best to innovate, circulate and eliminate the plastic that we use. This rPET project has been an enormously rewarding and complex one that has involved countless team members focused entirely on driving positive impact.”  

While all Califia bottles in North America have made the switch to 100 percent rPET, the brand has yet to update its packaging to communicate the change to consumers. The company will begin changing its packaging this spring and will include QR codes linking to an rPET landing page as well as the brand’s sustainability reports. The company has worked with Climate Collaborative, an industry group taking action against climate change, and How2Recycle, a standardized labeling system that promotes circularity by providing consistent and transparent on-pack disposal information to consumers in the U.S. and Canada.