Coca-Cola Focuses on Circular Economy with Packaging Mix

What is the difference between recycling, downcycling and upcycling? 51.1 percent of respondents in Germany don’t know, according to a Civey survey commissioned by Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola now wants to change this and has, therefore, launched a sustainability campaign. With prominent support, it shows why the recycling cycle for disposable rPET bottles and the reuse of returnable PET bottles are so important. During the campaign, Germany’s largest supplier of non-alcoholic soft drinks is drawing more attention to the differences and importance of reusable PET and 100 percent rPET disposable bottles. The soft drinks manufacturer wants to show that there is the right packaging for every drinking occasion.

“With our packaging mix, we want to offer the right packaging for every drinking occasion – from drinks mixes for parties to Coke on the go. For us, the right packaging also means making all packaging as sustainable as possible and contributing to a resource-conserving cycle. We are constantly working on this,” says Evelyne De Leersnyder, Managing Director of Coca-Cola GmbH.

Coca-Cola intends to continue with other types of packaging such as returnable glass bottles in various sizes - from the 0.2 liter to the 1 liter glass bottle, according to a request from FACHPACK 360°. The company will also continue to offer "the popular can". "All packaging - whether disposable or reusable - has a deposit and is returned via the deposit system in Germany," explains Katja Päsler, Director Portfolio & Channel Activation - Germany. "The can can be returned to the recycling system after being returned. We have also been able to significantly reduce the amount of material used and therefore the weight of the can in recent years. Most recently to 11.8 grams when we switched to aluminum in 2023," Päsler continues.

Coca-Cola Criticizes Downcycling

For Coca-Cola, packaging is one of the biggest levers for reducing its CO2 footprint. According to the company, all Coca- Cola packaging made of PET, glass, and aluminum is already 99 percent recyclable. For example, returnable PET bottles are refilled an average of 15 times. They are also filled regionally – at nine out of 14 Coca- Cola locations. This ensures short transportation routes.

Disposable PET bottles can also be given a new life if they are kept in the cycle. A bottle made from recycled PET has a CO2 footprint that is up to 50 percent lower than a bottle made from new material. That is why Coca-Cola is committed to turning disposable PET bottles into bottles again. With a functioning bottle-to-bottle cycle, 214,000 tons of new plastic and 60,000 tons of CO2 (ifeu study 2023) could be saved in Germany every year. Last year, the food discounter Lild, part of the Schwarz Group, also ran a large-scale campaign with the prominent support of TV star Günther Jauch to inform consumers about the ecological strengths of the closed-loop bottle, the body of which is made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic.

Recycled Plastic in Clothing

Coca-Cola criticizes the fact that most of the recycled material from PET bottles is currently processed into other things, such as clothing or packaging for cosmetics or cleaning products. “After this downcycling, it cannot be reprocessed into a drinks bottle. It is therefore lost to the bottle-to-bottle cycle”, a spokesperson says. In order to be able to turn bottles back into bottles, In order to be able to turn bottles into bottles again, Coca Cola in Germany is demanding first access rights to recycled material for beverage manufacturers. However, the company cannot convince everyone with this demand. The waste management association BDE, for example, rejected this proposal. The reasoning: restricting free trade could lead to lower prices and thus reduce the incentive to invest in the recycling industry.