Coca-Cola European Partners has announced that it will step up its commitment to eliminate virgin oil-based plastic by transitioning to 100% recycled plastic (rPET) bottles in two more markets.
The transition, which will take place in the Netherlands and Norway, marks an important move towards a closed-loop recycling system that will be supported by local deposit return schemes in both countries.
The news follows Coca-Cola’s announcement that its Swedish branch would become the first market to switch to 100% rPET in the first quarter of 2020.
From October 2020, Coca-Cola in the Netherlands will produce 100% rPET small bottles for brands including Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Larger bottles will follow in 2021, making it the second market to move its locally-produced portfolio to 100% rPET.
The team hopes that the switch in the Netherlands will help to eliminate more than 10,000 tonnes of new virgin oil-based plastic each year, reducing the company’s footprint by 21%.
In addition, Coca-Cola Norway will transition to 100% rPET during the first half of next year. The transition will remove approximately 4,300 tonnes of new virgin oil-based plastic a year, reducing the company’s carbon footprint by 28%.
Joe Franses, vice president sustainability at Coca-Cola European Partners said: “Today’s announcement that Coca-Cola European Partners Netherlands and Coca-Cola European Partners Norway are making the switch to 100% rPET marks a vitally important step forwards on our journey to eliminating new virgin oil-based plastic across all our plastic bottles within a decade.
“Crucially, this announcement provides a compelling case for the role that deposit return schemes can play in the creation of local circular economies for beverage packaging. Markets with well-designed DRS such as those in Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway not only have high collection rates but also have the capacity to collect a higher grade of material with less contamination.”
Franses continued: “Coca-Cola in Western Europe is a firm supporter of the implementation of well-designed deposit return schemes across Europe, recognising the role they can play as part of local, closed-loop recycling system. We also remain committed to supporting innovative packaging and recycling technologies to help us to reach our target of 50% recycled content across all our plastic bottles by 2023.”
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2022
World Beverage Innovation Awards – NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES!
The awards celebrate excellence and innovation across the global beverage industry. Don’t miss out on having your innovations recognised on a global scale.
Deadline for entries 23 July – enter now!
Don’t get left behind
Start your free Foodbev magazine trial today and join thousands of fellow industry professionals in receiving food and drink trends direct to our business.
Click here to start your free trial
Your privacy We use small files known as ‘cookies’ to enhance your experience of the FoodBev website and analyse site-traffic. Read about how we use cookies or how you may control them in our updated privacy policy and cookie policy. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Click the ‘OKAY‘ button at the top right of this panel to accept or click here for more information.