Sprite has come in iconic green bottles for over 60 years but that will change from next week

In a matter of days, Sprite’s iconic bottles will be packaged with clear colouring.

The changes will only impact North American customers, in a bid to help the company recycle more efficiently.

It’s understood Sprite wants to increase the supply of recycled plastic, which can then be used to make future bottles.

The company says the transition to 100 per cent recycled plastic is projected to save more than “20 million pounds of new plastic”.

It is also expected to cut more than 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2023.

“Taking colours out of bottles improves the quality of the recycled material,” said Julian Ochoa, who is the Chief Executive of R3CYCLE, which is working with Sprite to make the changes.

“This transition will help increase availability of food-grade rPET. When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into bottles, helping drive a circular economy for plastic,” he says.

The iconic green bottles were often recycled into materials like clothes, which are sometimes harder to recycle.

Coloured bottles are usually recycled separately from clear ones.