Media release

Brown bottle loyalists, look away – L&P is going clear

Kiwis have strong opinions about the things that define us. Marmite vs. Vegemite, pineapple on pizza, togs, togs, undies. Now L&P is adding another one to the list.

For the first time in its 119-year history, Aotearoa’s iconic soft drink is swapping its signature brown plastic bottle for clear. And in the spirit of the great Kiwi divide, the famous L&P bottle in Paeroa will be sitting on the fence too, with one half staying brown and the other going clear.

Rolling out nationwide in April 2026, the move marks the most significant packaging change the drink has made in over a century. It’s a deliberate step towards better recyclability, with clear PET easier to recycle compared to brown plastic in New Zealand, increasing the chance bottles can be turned back into new bottles rather than single-use items.

Before anyone panics though, the drink itself hasn’t changed a drop in the bottle change. The same lemony fizz Kiwis know and love is staying exactly as is.

“L&P is a proper Kiwi icon, so we don’t take changing it lightly,” says Tracey Evans, Marketing Director for Coca‑Cola Oceania. “But this is exactly why we’re making the shift to clear plastic because it gives every bottle a better chance of being recycled back into another bottle. It’s a meaningful step that helps future-proof a classic.”

To mark the milestone, the seven-metre-tall bottle statue in Paeroa will be re-skinned for a limited time – with half in the classic brown and half in the new clear look.

Some might reckon the brown bottle is part of L&P’s unmistakable identity. Others might say if it helps recycling, it’s worth the switch. Either way, L&P knows Kiwis will have a few thoughts.

“The brown bottle is part of our long history since naturally carbonated water from the Ohinemuri spring was mixed with lemon juice back in the early 1900s. The shift to clear plastic bottles is about easier recycling compared to brown plastic bottles, but we’re still the same old L&P Kiwis have known forever,” says Tracey.

Clear bottles will progressively replace brown plastic across all bottle sizes from April, with stock appearing in supermarkets, dairies and service stations nationwide.