Our plan to recover and recycle every single can and bottle the Coca Cola system sells
Learn about our plan to recover and recycle every single can and bottle the Coca Cola system sells.
It's often overlooked, but there are many benefits of using plastic if you make packaged goods. It is light, safe, clean, low-carbon, and very effective at protecting the quality of products – essential if you make something for human consumption. But there is a downside to plastic too: if it is not disposed of properly after its use.
Taking Action
We want to see all of our packaging recovered and recycled, so none of it is littered or ends up where it shouldn’t be. It is a bold ambition – there isn’t a country in the world at the moment that gets back 100% of its packaging – but that’s what we are aiming for, and hope to achieve through our continued efforts. To this end, there are a number of key areas we are focusing specifically on:
- Making our packaging as sustainable as possible
- Using our advertising to encourage more people to recycle
Calling for the reform of the UK recycling system, and supporting any interventions that increase recovery and recycling rates. This includes the establishment of a well-designed, truly interoperable Deposit Return Scheme across England, Wales and Scotland.
More sustainable packaging
Our large format bottles contain 30 rPET or recycled plastic (excluding cap and label) and our smaller bottles contain 100% rPET;.
Why not make all bottles from 100% rPET? Well, the reality is that at present there just isn’t enough food-grade quality recycled material available in the UK to go further;. For that number to go up, more clean plastic needs to be recovered, hence our support for a deposit return scheme.
We are also going to focus on how we can use our brands and our advertising to encourage more people to recycle. We want to make more people aware that, if you recycle your bottle after you’ve enjoyed it, you can help more packaging be recycled than ever before.
A team effort
If we want to reduce litter and get more recycled material into our bottles, then we need to look at the current recycling system in this country and find ways to make it easier for more packaging to be recovered and recycled. There’s not one easy fix to achieve this, so we’re also working with many of our partners, suppliers and NGOs to help make recycling easier for everyone. We continue to play an active role in supporting the introduction of a well-designed Deposit Return Scheme in the UK via lobbying government. We have experience from around the world of participating in such schemes and how to make them efficient and effective. This has included giving our support to properly exploring the merits and impacts of a well-designed and interoperable deposit return scheme.
We have experience from around the world of participating in such schemes and how to make them efficient and effective. We welcome the Government’s recent announcement that a DRS will be implemented in October 2027 across England, Wales, and Scotland, and will continue to work closely with officials, retailers and the industry to ensure that the scheme is easy to use, while delivering the best outcome for the environment.
We believe these actions can help to make a real difference now and in the long term. We dislike litter as much as anyone else and don’t want to see it on our streets, on our beaches or in the sea. We're determined we will do what we can to help prevent it.
Read more about our sustainability initiatives here, or find out about our 100% rPET smartwater bottle here.