• Bottles with attached caps to be introduced across its entire portfolio from February  
• The introduction of attached caps marks a milestone in Coca‑Cola’s World Without Waste journey and is part of the implementation of the new European Directive on single-use plastics which comes into force in 2024.
• The new caps will make it easier to recycle the whole beverage package in Ireland and Northern Ireland and is aimed to ensure more plastic bottles are collected with their caps attached so the cap does not end up as litter

Marking another step forward towards Coca‑Cola’s strategy known as World Without Waste, Coca‑Cola Ireland in partnership with its bottling partner Coca‑Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, will introduce ‘tethered’ – or attached – caps on plastic bottles to consumers on the island of Ireland from February this year.  

Part of Coca‑Cola’s ongoing transition across Europe to meet the provisions on closures of plastic beverage containers in the EU Directive on Single-use Plastics, this move is intended to boost the collection and recycling of plastic bottles and caps to help reduce packaging litter. 

The new cap design is also another milestone on Coca‑Cola’s World Without Waste journey and the company’s central commitment to collect for recycling or reuse a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030, and to go further, faster, where it can, to help reduce packaging litter.  

Production of the new attached cap design has begun across the portfolio of Coca‑Cola’s soft drinks. The new bottles with attached caps will be available for purchase at convenience stores and retail points across the island of Ireland in the coming weeks. 

Agnese Filippi, Country Manager, Coca‑Cola Ireland: “The introduction of attached caps across our entire portfolio will ensure that the cap gets collected with the bottle for recycling. This small change has the potential to have a big impact, ensuring that consumers recycle our bottles, and no cap gets left behind.

“As the biggest beverage brand on the island of Ireland, we recognise that we have a leading role to play in developing packaging innovations that help make all our packaging more sustainable and encourage consumers to recycle our products so they can be converted into new bottles. Together with our bottling partner, Coca‑Cola has been investing significantly in sustainable packaging, including moving to 100% recycled plastic and KeelClip™, a minimalist paperboard packaging solution. 

“At Coca‑Cola Ireland, we will continue to accelerate efforts to reduce our packaging footprint and develop a true circular economy for our products.” 

Davide Franzetti, General Manager, Coca‑Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “As the bottling partner for The Coca‑Cola Company, we share the EU’s commitment to helping improve packaging waste collection and recycling.

“The Coca‑Cola System will take the transition to attached caps as an opportunity to promote recycling messages, supporting our drive towards 100% collection of both bottle and cap.”

The milestone moment will be accompanied by an out-of-home, digital and social campaign that will be rolled out in February and March.