Action on packaging
Making our packaging more sustainable
We are committed to finding the most sustainable ways for people to enjoy our drinks, as part of a circular economy for packaging, that are right for them and right for the planet.
We want to use less packaging where we can and, for the packaging we do use, our focus is on collecting and recycling everything we use so that none of our packaging ends up as litter, in our oceans or environment. In 2019, we announced enhanced packaging targets to accelerate delivery of our goals, together with The Coca-Cola Company.
Our action on packaging supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 and UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.
Our recycling programme at Brussels airport in partnership with CCEP supports their ambition to collect every bottle they put on the market. With this project we are responding to ever increasing on the go consumption, aiming for an increase in packaging waste collection and its recycling rate.
Patrick Laevers
Managing Director Fost Plus – Belgium
Our 2025 commitments
- Recyclability
- Packaging collection
- Recycled or renewable material
- Inspire to recycle
- Sustainable packaging
We’ll make sure that 100% of our primary packaging is recyclable or reusable and we’ll remove all unnecessary or hard to recycle packaging from our portfolio.
In 2019, 98.3% of our packaging was recyclable. By 2025, we will also ensure that our other primary packaging materials, including the cartons and pouches we use for some of our drinks, will also be fully recyclable and compatible with local packaging collection infrastructure. This is aligned with The Coca-Cola Company’s global pledge to use 100% reusable or recyclable packaging as part of their World Without Waste strategy.
We’ll work with local and national partners to collect 100% of our packaging in Western Europe, including support for well designed deposit return schemes where a proven alternative does not exist.
We’ll make sure that at least 50% of the material we use for our PET bottles comes from recycled plastic (rPET) by 2023 and we’ll aim to reach 100% recycled or renewable plastic in the future.
Using recycled material in our bottles and cans keeps valuable resources in a circular economy and reduces the carbon footprint of our packaging. We are investing in new technologies, like enhanced recycling, and engaging in partnerships to ensure a reliable supply of high quality rPET in all our markets.
We’ll use the reach of our brands to inspire everyone to recycle.
Consumers have an important role to play in helping to ensure that our packaging is collected and recycled and does not end up as litter or in the oceans.
We’re determined to use the reach of our brands to encourage everyone to recycle more. Across our markets we support a wide variety of consumer recycling and anti-litter campaigns, as well as putting clear recycling messages across all our packs.
We’ll lead the way in pioneering sustainable packaging – including renewable materials, refillable and dispensed delivery models and smart new ways to reduce packaging waste.
Innovation is an important pillar in our strategy. In 2019, we developed a Sustainable Packaging Office (SPO) to streamline all the technical and exploratory sustainable packaging work across our geographies, to accelerate our innovation in this area and support our progress towards our enhanced packaging targets.
Our progress in 2019
Our stories
In 2019, we launched a bold recycling campaign in Belgium and the Netherlands which used our brand to encourage consumers to recycle their packaging with the tagline ‘Don’t buy Coca-Cola if you are not going to help us recycle’.
In 2019, more than 50 organisations joined forces to help clean-up the seas around France. The initiative, “A gesture for the sea”, is supported by the Coca-Cola Foundation for the next three years. 38 clean-up activities took place, involving 1,639 participants, collecting 3,800 kg of waste.
In 2019, more than 11,000 volunteers participated in Mares Circulares – a partnership project from The Coca-Cola Company that involves over 400 different organisations – dedicated to clean-up activities on 101 beaches in Spain and Portugal. Over 330 tonnes of waste was collected.