Label-less bottled water sold in Tokyo vending machines to cut plastic waste

A major beverage maker has started selling bottled mineral water without labels in some vending machines in Tokyo. Coca-Cola Japan said the aim is to reduce plastic waste.

Product information is now printed on the bottle caps instead. Manufacturers were previously only allowed to sell label-less beverages in boxes. But a revision to a ministerial ordinance that took effect last week lets them sell the drinks individually. The Japan Soft Drink Association estimates removing the labels from bottled water sold through roughly 2 million vending machines nationwide would reduce plastic use by about 350 tons a year.