Packaging News
The world’s number one soft drink brand’s GB business unit is aiming high – pledging to work with local and national partners to recover all its packaging so that more is recycled and none ends up as litter.
It is also promoting an incentive-based scheme by testing an on-the-go bottle collection and reward programme.
The initiative no doubt, is partly in response to continued media coverage of low recycling rates and the concern of plastics pollution in oceans around the world.
Leendert den Hollander, vice president and general manager, Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) – Coca-Cola Great Britain’s bottling partner – said: “We want to recover all of the packaging that we put out in the market, so it does not end up as litter. We will make our packaging more sustainable, more resource efficient, we will use our brands and their reach to talk about recycling and engage with consumers about recycling; and we will continue to champion new ways of improving recovery and recylability.”
Nick Brown, head of sustainability at CCEP, said the company also wanted to improve household and on the go recycling.
“We need a new framework where all the parties understand the role they can play. We are calling for significant reform of the producer responsibility scheme – it can promote eco design, and it can step change the economics of using recyclable materials.
He acknowledged that recycling needed to be improved in all forms of packing, including metal and glass.
“We understand that users of glass and aluminium we need to focus on all 3 but plastics is the one clearly at the moment with the lowest recycling rates.”
Greenpeace and other environmental organisations have constantly pressured CCEP to release data about its global plastic usage – it estimates that Coca-Cola produces more than 100 billion plastic bottles every.
The top six drinks companies in the world use a combined average of just 6.6% of recycled plastic (PET) in their products, according to Greenpeace.
As part of its effort to boost recycled plastic to 50%, CCEP will continue its long term partnership with Clean Tech, which operates Europe’s largest plastic bottle reprocessing facility in Lincolnshire, and allowing recycled bottles to return to shop shelves as part of new packs within two months.
At present, only 70% of the cans and 57% of the plastic bottles used each year are recycled.
The new GB sustainable packaging strategy is focused on three key areas:
– Continuing to innovate to ensure its packaging is as sustainable as possible, including lightweighting, ensuring all its cans and bottles are 100% recyclable, and using recycled materials. The company wants to double the amount of recycled plastic in every PET bottles over the next three years – from the current average of 25% to 50% by 2020.
– Investing in consumer communication to promote recycling and encourage behaviour change
– Promoting reform of the UK recycling system to ensure more packaging is recovered and recycled, including increased packaging collection and recycling rates, including stronger recycling targets, deposit return schemes and extended producer responsibility.
In addition, CCEP will test on-the-go bottle collection and reward programmes.
Hollander said the company has always been committed to reducing the environmental impact of its packaging.
“We have ensured that all our bottles and cans are 100% recyclable; we have reduced the weight of our packs as much as possible; and have a long-standing commitment to use locally-sourced rPET and other recycled materials in our packaging.
He said both Coca-Cola Great Britain and CCEP realise there is more to be done.
“We have worked together to build an end-to-end strategy focused on meaningful actions in three key areas.
“Our goal is to work with local and national partners to ensure all of our packaging is recovered and recycled. Our new strategy sets out how we will start work to achieve that. We have focused on the actions we can take as a business – such as our ability to communicate to consumers on the importance of recycling – as well as the areas where we want to work in close collaboration with others to reduce litter and increase the recovery and recycling of plastic bottles.
“Our desire to double the amount of recycled material we use in our plastic bottles sends a clear signal that we want to play a positive role in supporting the circular economy here in Great Britain. Our ambition – and our ability to go further in the future – will require reform of the packaging collection system in Great Britain and we will work with others to champion the changes that are required to ensure all our valuable materials are recovered.”
Chris Brown, managing director at Clean Tech, said: “We’re are pleased Coca-Cola is making a significant commitment to increasing the recycled content in their bottles. We, as part of Plastipak, are proud to be the largest producer of food-grade recycled PET plastic in Europe and our significant partnership with Coca-Cola actively demonstrates the increasing demand for high quality recycled plastic in the drinks industry. We want to provide manufacturers like Coca-Cola with even more of this material, but to do that the first step is to recover more used bottles.”
Marcus Gover, chief executive of WRAP, added: “A commitment that half of all the plastic they use will be recycled plastic, understanding that this will cost the business more, shows real leadership in the industry and provides the essential market for recovered materials. Initiatives like this are much needed if we are to change consumer behaviour and recover and recycle more – WRAP and Recycle Now are excited to be working with them on this. We need more big brands to help inspire people to do their part.”
Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton, said: “Every day, around 16 million plastic bottles are littered or end up in landfill and to have a global brand like Coca-Cola leading the way in developing the new solutions and changes in behaviour required is a real step forward. We particularly welcome their ambition to recover and recycle all of their packaging and hope that this inspires others to step up and help bring about the changes required.”
Paul Vanston, chief executive of INCPEN, said huge progress to recycle more has been achieved across the UK over the last 15 years.
“That’s happened through customers, companies and councils sharing beliefs and actions that getting into the recycling mindset is the right thing to do. Coca-Cola’s latest initiatives aim to shift UK recycling activities into a higher gear. By joining up the campaigning messages, the collection and capture of recyclables, and also the remanufacture processes, Coca-Cola is demonstrating clear leadership.”
Jane Bevis, Chair of OPRL, said consumers want clear, consistent and simple information on how to recycle or dispose of packaging.
“That’s the key to achieving higher recycling rates and CCEP’s commitment in supporting cross-brand initiatives such as the On-Pack Recycling Label is crucial in embedding effective recycling behaviours. We applaud the extra steps CCEP is taking in engaging their consumers, through campaigns at festivals, marketing and further calls to action on-pack, and look forward to continuing our close partnership in influencing consumer behaviour. We believe very strongly that this leadership should be reflected in a reformed producer responsibility system that recognises and rewards responsible producers like CCEP.”
