Coca-Cola's small-size soda has been downsized, permanently.
An independent bottling company in Winona, Minn., discontinued the 6.5-ounce sodas that came in a returnable bottle this week after saying it would be too costly to replace the aging production line.
The iconic green glass bottle was the last returnable Coke bottle in the United States. Buyers paid an extra 20 cents per bottle as a deposit and could return the bottle and get a refund of the 20 cents, but only in four counties -- Winona and Wabasha in Minnesota and Buffalo and Trempealeau in Wisconsin. No Twin Cities dealers sold the returnable Coke product.
The plant distributed 422,000 cases of Coca-Cola products in 2011. The returnable bottles represented about 2 percent of the total, or about 10,000 cases of 24 bottles each.
Coca-Cola, based in Atlanta, still sells Coke in 8-ounce glass recyclable bottles, but the beverage company's returnables are now defunct.
The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Winona, which has been distributing the bottles since 1932, employs 14 full-timers and a few part-timers and will remain open, said LeRoy Telstad, vice president and general manager at the plant.
Other sizes also discontinued
Employees used to distribute a returnable 10-ounce and 16-ounce bottle too, but both of those sizes in the glass returnable bottles were discontinued earlier this year. The bottling company still distributes other Coca-Cola products, including Powerade and other energy drinks.
