Naked Juice Co. plans to switch to 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles in 2010, reducing primary resin consumption by 8.1 million pounds annually.

The Azusa, Calif.-based super-premium juice company would be the first nationally distributed beverage brand to use 100% post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate bottles, said Mikel Durham, general manager of Naked Juice.

It is calling the container the Naked reNEWabottle.

“The transition to 100% post-consumer recycled bottles is a major milestone that we have worked hard to achieve,” Durham said. “It’s important for the Earth, and that’s important to our customers.”

The company will begin by converting its 32-ounce bottles this month, and plans to switch its entire line into post-consumer recycled bottles next year. The recycled bottles will be clear rather than translucent like the current packaging, and will feature a label indicating the bottle is 100% recycled.

The initial 32-ounce bottle transition will reduce Naked Juice’s annual virgin resin consumption by 1 million pounds.

When completed, the move will save 57,000 barrels of oil annually, the equivalent of taking 3,460 cars off the road, according to the company, citing U.S. Department of Transportation statistics on 2007 motor vehicle fuel consumption.

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