Coke putting Dasani water in cans amid backlash against plastic

Coca-Cola is putting its Dasani water brand into aluminum cans as the beverage industry faces pressure to reduce its use of plastic.

Coke will start selling canned Dasani in the U.S. Northeast next month, with plans to expand the product to other parts of the country in 2020. The announcement comes after PepsiCo Inc. said recently it would experiment with selling Aquafina, its mainstream water brand, in cans at restaurants and stadiums.

Beverage giants are under pressure to boost recycling and cut down on plastic that’s filling the world’s oceans and waterways. Aluminum cans generally contain more recycled material than plastic bottles and are less likely to float away in the ocean. Dasani and Aquafina are the top two bottled brands in the U.S., with combined sales north of $2 billion.

In addition to the can test, Coke is unveiling a new “hybrid” Dasani bottle, with half of the materials from a combination of plants and recycled plastic. The company also said it’s cutting down on the weight of its bottles in a bid to use less material.

The initiatives are designed to appeal to customers and help Coke meet its pledge to boost the use of recycled material by 2030. Lauren King, Dasani’s brand director, said the efforts will also help boost profit at the parent company.

“Overall this is good for our bottom line,” King said.