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So, will you drink Coca Cola Life?

#1

Frank

Frank

http://www.treehugger.com/economics/coca-cola-launches-organic-coke-coca-cola-life.html



It's Coke made from cane sugar and Stevia that contains about 2/3rds the calories of, what I can only assume is now referred to as Coca Cola Death, regular Coke. It also comes in recyclable (because apparently the old bottles weren't?) plant-plastic bottles.


#2

PatrThom

PatrThom

Ok, but how does it taste?

--Patrick


#3

Frank

Frank

Like life, duh. I dunno, I think Stevia is awful personally. It makes things bitter.


#4

PatrThom

PatrThom

I've been waiting for a US product that does what is already being done in Europe, that is making a drink which is sweetened with a handful of sweetener products rather than being 100% sugar, or 100% aspartame, or 100% saccharine, or whatever. It seems like the easiest way to avoid the individual complications of overdosing on these various sweetening products, n'est pas?

--Patrick


#5

Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

I'm sure it's still garbage.

They'd still be putting cocaine in the drinks if they could.


#6

Frank

Frank

I would buy buy Pepsi Black in a heartbeat if it were here.



Half the sugar with real lemon in it. Only available in Japan of course.


#7

Cajungal

Cajungal

I drink about 1 soft drink every couple of months. If I came across a bottle, I might try.


#8

MindDetective

MindDetective

Turns out there is a good chance I am allergic to corn. If it is corn-free, there is a good chance I will try.


#9

Bowielee

Bowielee

I rarely drink soda nowadays, but I'd at least try it.


#10

figmentPez

figmentPez

I like stevia to sweeten my tea, but I don't think it works very well sweetening anything that isn't tea or a fruity flavor. I can't imagine that stevia would go well with Coke, even with sugar. I tried Zevia, the cream soda variety, and I was not impressed. Granted that's a zero calorie drink with no sugar, but it definitely confirmed what I already knew about stevia. It wasn't undrinkable, but it didn't taste much like cream soda either.


#11

PatrThom

PatrThom

MindDetective said:
Turns out there is a good chance I am allergic to corn. If it is corn-free, there is a good chance I will try.
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I am very interested in knowing the results of this experiment.

--Patrick


#12

jwhouk

jwhouk

Stevia sweetened Coke... (shrug) I'd have to try it.


#13

Tress

Tress

I drink sodas from time to time, and Coke is my brand of choice, so I'll try it. I'm not gonna get too excited about it, though.


#14

Terrik

Terrik

I use to drink a LOT of soda. June's been making lemon water for me for about a month now and a I feel a lot better. I'll always have a soft spot for the "dew", though.


#15

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

The further I go after clicking that link, the deeper it gets. Another corporate non-solution to a problem they created in the first place.

(Whoa. The more I read that line, the more is sounds like Charlie. Doesn't change anything, though. I'm not impressed.)


#16

Frank

Frank

The worst are the ads in front of movies where Coke talks about how it's battling the obesity problem by offering no-calorie options for schools. Aspartame loaded diet sodas for kids. THE BEST OPTION!

Then compares the calories Coke adds to your diet in the same category as actual food.

It's just awful.


#17

Terrik

Terrik

I bought the "Coke Zero" lie for a loooooong time.


#18

Cajungal

Cajungal

Even though I probably will try it, I have to say its pretty insulting the way companies use the color green to try and fool people into thinking something is better for you and the environment.


#19

PatrThom

PatrThom

Cajungal said:
Even though I probably will try it, I have to say its pretty insulting the way companies use the color green to try and fool people into thinking something is better for you and the environment.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing

--Patrick


#20

Bubble181

Bubble181

Terrik said:
I bought the "Coke Zero" lie for a loooooong time.
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How so? I drink Zero regularly - I prefer the taste to regular old Coke (which is still real sugar here, and too sticky sweet for my taste). Sure it'll give me cancer, but what's the lie?

Also, sure I'll try Life, but I don't see why I'd want to drink it if I like Zero just fine and this one has more calories. Stevia isn't any healthier than the c rap they put in Zero :p


#21

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Bubble181 said:
How so? I drink Zero regularly - I prefer the taste to regular old Coke (which is still real sugar here, and too sticky sweet for my taste). Sure it'll give me cancer, but what's the lie?

Also, sure I'll try Life, but I don't see why I'd want to drink it if I like Zero just fine and this one has more calories. Stevia isn't any healthier than the c rap they put in Zero :p
Click to expand...
Just mix the two together and produce Coke Zero Life.


#22

Bubble181

Bubble181

sixpackshaker said:
Just mix the two together and produce Coke Zero Life.
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...Isn't that Mountain Dew, the Drink of Choice for any LAN-partier? :p


#23

Gusto

Gusto

My LAN party drinks of choice have typically been plain club soda or coffee in recent years.


#24

BananaHands

BananaHands

I'm sure it goes well enough with whiskey.

I dunno. If it's a diet soda without aspartame I guess I'll try it.


#25

drawn_inward

drawn_inward

I'd give it a shot, but the whole recyclable thing is a bit of an eyeroll for me. I don't drink sodas as much as I used to, and I am questioning all the artificial junk in my food right now.


#26

BananaHands

BananaHands

drawn_inward said:
I'd give it a shot, but the whole recyclable thing is a bit of an eyeroll for me. I don't drink sodas as much as I used to, and I am questioning all the artificial junk in my food right now.
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Yeah. I'm actually surprised the bottles before weren't recyclable though.


#27

Azurephoenix

Azurephoenix

I would definitely try this. I like sugar cane sweetened drinks way better than high fructose corn syrup. It might not taste good but I'm more than willing to try it out.


#28

twitchmoss

twitchmoss



#29

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

BananaHands said:
Yeah. I'm actually surprised the bottles before weren't recyclable though.
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All Coke Bottles/cans are recyclable. But I assume that Coke Life will use recycled materials.


#30

Jay

Jay

How well will it mix with some Johnnie Walker?


#31

Shakey

Shakey

They're going to use plant based plastic instead of petroleum based. They were always recyclable, just not made out of bioplastic. Or whatever the hell they're calling it.


#32

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Jay said:
How well will it mix with some Johnnie Walker?
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Well, my psychologist, Dr Beam, loves Diet Coke.


#33

Frank

Frank

BananaHands said:
Yeah. I'm actually surprised the bottles before weren't recyclable though.
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They were, that was just me taking a shot at the fact that they're referred to as recyclable plastic made from plants....as if bottles weren't recyclable before.[DOUBLEPOST=1377271054,1377270944][/DOUBLEPOST]
twitchmoss said:
Irn Bru picture
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Never had, always wanted to try it. Not sold anywhere that I've seen.


#34

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

How is killing trees to make plastic "greener" than using trees that have been dead for millions of years?


#35

Shakey

Shakey

Cause they're green, and that's good. Oil is black, and that's bad.


#36

strawman

strawman

sixpackshaker said:
How is killing trees to make plastic "greener" than using trees that have been dead for millions of years?
Click to expand...
1) Oil is non renewable
2) Oil is "captured and stable" carbon which is released when we extract and use it. Trees are carbon capturing, they don't necessarily increase the carbon load on the planet when turned into plastic.

Bioplastics are the future, not necessarily because they're greener, though, but because they're cheaper. Coke isn't going to pay more per bottle just so they can add the "green" label to each one. Oil used to be under $50/barrel, it's now above $100/barrel and rising, even though we're not anywhere near peak oil. They've been thinning out the plastic used in drink bottles for years trying to reduce costs, and bioplastics have finally just barely crossed the point where they are cheaper than oil based plastics.

It's always a money game.

I suspect Coke believes aspartame is dangerous, and is trying new ways to reduce calories without reducing sweetness without using aspartame before the lawsuits over it start.[DOUBLEPOST=1377273836,1377273711][/DOUBLEPOST]Also they can claim stevia is organic, while they can't claim that with aspartame. HFCS is organic too, though, so the move to sugar is interesting, that is certainly more expensive than HFCS.


#37

GasBandit

GasBandit

Life? Don't talk to me about Life.


#38

drawn_inward

drawn_inward

Finally, a drink that I can feel good about giving my family. Coca-cola Life™ comes from an all natural spring deep in the Andes Mountains and is sweetened from the micturation of local indigenous tribes via a fair-trade agreement. I am glad that Coca-cola is a responsible company producing natural eco-friendly products. The biodegradable packing means that my family can enjoy a refreshing and progressive beverage without the concern of our carbon foot print.


#39

Frank

Frank

drawn_inward said:
Finally, a drink that I can feel good about giving my family. Coca-cola Life™ comes from an all natural spring deep in the Andes Mountains and is sweetened from the micturation of local indigenous tribes via a fair-trade agreement. I am glad that Coca-cola is a responsible company producing natural eco-friendly products. The biodegradable packing means that my family can enjoy a refreshing and progressive beverage without the concern of our carbon foot print.
Click to expand...
HIGHER+QUALITY+RAINBOW+PUKE+GIF+ACTIVATE+_27be1bc0d5d8df2f81400e34a92b38f8.gif


#40

PatrThom

PatrThom

Frank said:
Click to expand...
Screen Shot 2013-08-23 at 5.08.52 PM.png
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--Patrick


#41

Frank

Frank

PatrThom said:
View attachment 11620???
View attachment 11621
--Patrick
Click to expand...
Fixed?


#42

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Go a little deeper from the original link. What's wrong with going back to returnable and reusable glass bottles, beyond industry having to make an actual effort for a change?


#43

strawman

strawman

Today's glass bottles are not manufactured to be re-used. When you recycle a glass bottle it's crushed and re-used elsewhere, sometimes just as concrete aggregate.

They'd have to make glass bottles more expensive and create a supply chain backwards from the consumer to the bottling company in order to have re-usable glass bottles, and fewer than half of them would come back anyway. It's overall more expensive, not to mention significantly heavier, which increases transportation costs all around.


#44

PatrThom

PatrThom

stienman said:
not to mention significantly heavier, which increases transportation costs all around.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure this is the reason.

--Patrick


#45

DarkAudit

DarkAudit

stienman said:
Today's glass bottles are not manufactured to be re-used. When you recycle a glass bottle it's crushed and re-used elsewhere, sometimes just as concrete aggregate.

They'd have to make glass bottles more expensive and create a supply chain backwards from the consumer to the bottling company in order to have re-usable glass bottles, and fewer than half of them would come back anyway. It's overall more expensive, not to mention significantly heavier, which increases transportation costs all around.
Click to expand...
So why is the US the only one that doesn't bother? It's not like any of the other countries that continue to use returnable bottles no longer have issues with weight.

There once was a supply chain. It worked for decades, until the companies involved willingly destroyed it.


#46

jwhouk

jwhouk

Cheaper. For the longest time, it was cheaper to just make plastic bottles.

What I don't understand is why plastic bottles can't be recycled to make more plastic bottles - just as glass bottles can't be recycled into glass bottles.


#47

strawman

strawman

Most cheap plastic can't be remelted and formed into a new shape. It can be molded once during manufacturing, but once that process occurs you can't re-use it easily. These are thermoset polymers, and PET, which most beverage bottles are made of, is a thermoset polymer.

The opposite is thermoplastic polymers - they become malleable above a certain temperature, then hold their shape when cooled. This isn't a one-time process, so can be repeated with no change in chemical structure. ABS is an example of a plastic that can be repeatedly molded.

Thermoset polymers are most often recycled as aggregate in some other cement or polymer. You can break them down back to components similar to crude oil, then fraction and sell them again, but that's vastly more expensive than oil per barrel right now, so it's not done much. Some researchers are working on using biological processes to do this (enzymes, plastic attacking bacteria, etc) so the energy cost is lower.


#48

Bones

Bones

as one of the environmental scientists on this board I find it fun anytime they offer a product like this. The purpose of the product has everything to do with what Stienman said about costs of bioplastics. It is unfortunate that we have yet to find a good bio-degradable version for bottling yet.(My university had a soda cup for fast food you could toss in the compost heap and it would turn to goo in a week in aerobic conditions.) Many company are doing things like this to work on the tech in advanced of any inhospitable problems with raw materials needed to produce the product and its container. The newest trend in the last few years to try to replicate the taste of regular with less calories has been the most interesting to me. Nothing yet can beat their current use of HFCS 55/45 to replicate the original sugar only cola cheaply.(thank you government subsidies on corn and import taxes on sugar, or last I heard.)


#49

figmentPez

figmentPez

DarkAudit said:
So why is the US the only one that doesn't bother? It's not like any of the other countries that continue to use returnable bottles no longer have issues with weight.
Click to expand...
What countries have reusable glass bottles? Do they have to ship the same distances that the US does? Are Coke and Pepsi bottling in those reusable containers, or is it just local products? What kind of laws/taxes are there encouraging the use and, more importantly, reuse of reusable bottles? What are their systems like for collecting used bottles and can those same systems be applied effectively in US cities?

There once was a supply chain. It worked for decades, until the companies involved willingly destroyed it.
Click to expand...
A lot has changed since that system worked. Soda consumption has boomed. The 2-liter bottle has been introduced (not to mention numerous other sizes). Many other products have stopped using reusable containers as well; you won't find much milk, alcohol, juice or anything else in reusable bottles. I'm not saying that a system for reusing bottles can't exist, but it could not be the same system that worked 40+ years ago.


#50

Bones

Bones

figmentPez, this is basically all due to the way we consume at present vs in the times past. The fall of reusable glass bottles can be attributed to one major thing; the rise of supermarkets and the fall of milkmen. I am dead serious, milkmen did not just bring milk, after world war 2 they also offered soda. Before the days of recycling centers you could put your coke bottles out with your milk bottles for pick up. Even my mother who was born in the late 50's remembers this in her childhood days.

The main problem is with the advent of PET plastics and cheap oil there was no reason to bother with all the hullabaloo and we didn't have a convenient system anymore for getting the bottles back to the local bottler(WHO STILL EXIST IN EVERY AREA! I never even consider it until I began my studies!)


#51

PatrThom

PatrThom

Don't forget that the bottle sizes in ye olden days were often 8oz or less. The smaller size would make them even more durable, and much easier to transport.

--Patrick


#52

Bowielee

Bowielee

Bones said:
figmentPez, this is basically all due to the way we consume at present vs in the times past. The fall of reusable glass bottles can be attributed to one major thing; the rise of supermarkets and the fall of milkmen. I am dead serious, milkmen did not just bring milk, after world war 2 they also offered soda. Before the days of recycling centers you could put your coke bottles out with your milk bottles for pick up. Even my mother who was born in the late 50's remembers this in her childhood days.

The main problem is with the advent of PET plastics and cheap oil there was no reason to bother with all the hullabaloo and we didn't have a convenient system anymore for getting the bottles back to the local bottler(WHO STILL EXIST IN EVERY AREA! I never even consider it until I began my studies!)
Click to expand...
They actually had milkmen in my area up here until about 5 years ago. Then again, it IS Wisconsin.


#53

tegid

tegid

figmentPez said:
What countries have reusable glass bottles? Do they have to ship the same distances that the US does? Are Coke and Pepsi bottling in those reusable containers, or is it just local products? What kind of laws/taxes are there encouraging the use and, more importantly, reuse of reusable bottles? What are their systems like for collecting used bottles and can those same systems be applied effectively in US cities?
Click to expand...
Germany, at least, has reusable glass bottles. The thing is they have a mandatory deposit for both reusable and disposable packaging, and it's more expensive for disposable, so I guess that helps turn around the plastic vs glass cost problem. I think it happens in other nearby countries. Obviously the geography is very different, but I'm not sure that's the matter since they have reusable for cultural reasons plus strong governmental measures.


#54

jwhouk

jwhouk

The problem is that, relatively speaking, Germany is about the size of Wisconsin plus the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.


#55

strawman

strawman

Michigan charges the highest deposit in the nation, $0.10 per carbonated beverage. We still don't have recyclable glass bottles.

We also have no bottle litter, if you leave one out someone comes along and collects the deposit for you.


#56

Bowielee

Bowielee

Ten cent deposits in Michigan RULED. I'd say a good 70% of my game and movie rentals as a kid came from collecting recyclables from the streets and trash cans.


#57

Frank

Frank

We have 10 cent deposit on all cans, bottles under 2 liters and all. 2 liters and over is 20 cents and glass is dependent on size.


#58

tegid

tegid

stienman said:
Michigan charges the highest deposit in the nation, $0.10 per carbonated beverage. We still don't have recyclable glass bottles.

We also have no bottle litter, if you leave one out someone comes along and collects the deposit for you.
Click to expand...
Still, in germany the deposit is about 4x for disposable, that's why I said maybe that helped overturn the difference in cost: there is an increase in plastic-packaged products either for the consumer or for the producer.

Also, if I'm not mistaken they introduced this to stop the decline of reusability, rather than to get it going again, so there's that too.


#59

strawman

strawman

tegid said:
Still, in germany the deposit is about 4x for disposable, that's why I said maybe that helped overturn the difference in cost: there is an increase in plastic-packaged products either for the consumer or for the producer.

Also, if I'm not mistaken they introduced this to stop the decline of reusability, rather than to get it going again, so there's that too.
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A super cheap canned disposable beverage here can cost as little as $0.25. Charging $0.40 per drink just for the deposit, raising the total cost to $0.65 would make many people unhappy.

Besides, I think people have grown used to the idea that disposable == new == hygienic. There are many who would balk at buying a beverage in a bottle which has signs of use, and our society has become increasingly germophobic over the last century.


#60

Bones

Bones

just as an fyi,
this is what milk bottles look like after retirement, I own one because there was a local dairy near school that let us have their bottles when they had been used for long enough.
9598094093_b2e5d5c1fe_c.jpg


#61

PatrThom

PatrThom

stienman said:
A super cheap canned disposable beverage here can cost as little as $0.25. Charging $0.40 per drink just for the deposit, raising the total cost to $0.65 would make many people unhappy.
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FWIW, I would love to see our deposit law reformed. Right now it requires 10 cents on every bottle of carbonated beverage.
I would like to see that raised to 25 cents on every container meant for individual consumption. Thus 2l bottles would lose the deposit, but bottled water, Starbucks coffee shots, Hugs, even Capri Sun would all gain a 25 cent deposit. Also, much like the DMV, the processing of returned containers would become a State task in urban areas, with retailers having to take back containers only in regions more than X miles away from the closest facility.

You may think me extreme, but I've spent almost a decade having to deal with returned bottles and/or cleaning up after people's trash. Even if they are ultimately not recycled, at least people would keep track of them and not leave them everywhere.

--Patrick


#62

Morphine

Morphine

The fact that people think Stevia is good for you just because it has no calories and "is natural" is beyond my comprehension.
Stevia fucks with your blood pressure and it has been known to cause infertility in some animals (mammals). Also, it's been used for a long time in its raw, natural form, in some countries, but the product WE know and use is VERY processed and we don't know the long-term effects of it yet. I personally prefer using a little brown sugar or non at all.

And I hate coke, I don't think I'll be trying this.:eww:


#63

Bones

Bones

I only drink non-sugar sweetner because I have already had a lifetime dose exposure of most of the contaminants they tell you never to come in contact with.


#64

Bubble181

Bubble181

jwhouk said:
The problem is that, relatively speaking, Germany is about the size of Wisconsin plus the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
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Which is completely and utterly irrelevant, unless you insist all reusable bottles int he US be shipped to a single processing plant. There's maybe 10 or 15 such facilities in Germany. So what if you'd need 200 of them if you suddenly made this a blanket federal law (which no-one is suggesting)? It'll never be practical/effective in wide open rural areas (too much energy used collecting bottles from all over and transport them to a recycling plant) but both coasts could easily recycle and reuse far more than they do now in a cost-effective manner.

FWIW, the Netherlands uses glass reusable bottles as well...But they also have €0.20 deposits on PET and other plastic bottles. Everything you can buy a drink in, save cardboard boxes, has deposits and needs to be returned. Helps a lot with recycling and re-using.


#65

Espy

Espy

Stevia is gross. So is Aspartame.


#66

GasBandit

GasBandit

Espy said:
Stevia is gross. So is Aspartame.
Click to expand...
Yeah, sorbitol for the win.


#67

PatrThom

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
Yeah, sorbitol for the win.
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Sorbitol has its own problems.

--Patrick


#68

sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

GasBandit said:
Yeah, sorbitol for the win.
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Until the uncontrolled diarrhea hits...


#69

GasBandit

GasBandit

I ain't never had no shootin' poopies with sorbitol. I guess it just weeds out the weak-bummed.


#70

PatrThom

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
I ain't never had no shootin' poopies with sorbitol. I guess it just weeds out the weak-bummed.
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...until you hit the news after consuming an entire bag of caramel corn sweetened with sorbitol/xylitol and popped in Olestra.

--Patrick


#71

GasBandit

GasBandit

I'd say I'm more of a kettle corn kinda guy than caramel corn. I haven't seen one of those big xmas cans of corn in 20 years.


#72

Dei

Dei

Bowielee said:
They actually had milkmen in my area up here until about 5 years ago. Then again, it IS Wisconsin.
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I have a milkman. In fact there are 2 or 3 dairies near me that compete to deliver milk.


#73

Cajungal

Cajungal

I find that super cool and charming. I want milk delivered! Has anyone had an affair with the milkman?!


#74

Frank

Frank

GasBandit said:
I'd say I'm more of a kettle corn kinda guy than caramel corn. I haven't seen one of those big xmas cans of corn in 20 years.
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I used to trade my bag of caramel corn with my brothers for their cheese corn or their normal popcorn. Those Christmas popcorn cans were a staple.


#75

Cajungal

Cajungal

Frank said:
I used to trade my bag of caramel corn with my brothers for their cheese corn or their normal popcorn. Those Christmas popcorn cans were a staple.
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Some people call those things cheesy, last-minute gifts. I LOVE them! Popcorn is wonderous.


#76

strawman

strawman

Cajungal said:
Has anyone had an affair with the milkman?!
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Sometimes people ask why 1/4 of my kids have very curly hair, while both myself and my wife and the rest have reasonably straight hair. It's a lot easier to say, "milkman" than it is to explain recessive traits and genes. We don't have a milkman, but if we did he'd have very curly hair.


#77

Krisken

Krisken

I don't really drink Coke anymore unless it's in a mix drink, so probably not.


#78

jwhouk

jwhouk

You'll notice Krisken didn't say anything about milkmen.


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