Products like the SodaStream let you make your own carbonated beverages at home without the need for yet another plastic bottle to be recycled. But the number of bottled Cokes bought around the world every day is still staggering, so to encourage consumers to upcycle those plastic containers, Coca-Cola created sixteen different replacement caps giving them new uses.
The caps—under the 2nd Lives initiative—are being first introduced in Vietnam, given away to select customers buying a bottle of Coke, and they offer a surprising amount of upcycled functionality. For kids there's water guns, bubble blowers, paint brushes, and drums. And for adults there's spray bottles, soap dispensers, hand weights, and even condiment dispensers.
Coca-Cola is of course not hurting for market share or sales, but if every bottle of Coke came with a squirt gun cap, I think Pepsi and other soft drink makers would have an uphill battle trying to compete with that added value. [Coca-Cola via Notcot]