The Coca-Cola company has decided to fundamentally reshape its approach to packaging by collecting and recycling the equivalent of 100% of its packaging by 2030. This goal is the center-piece of Coca-Cola’s new packaging vision for a world without waste. The Coca-Cola system intends to back their vision with a multi-year investment that includes ongoing work to make packaging 100% recyclable. This begins with the understanding that food and beverage containers are an important part of people’s modern lives and, at the same time, there is much more to be done to reduce packaging waste globally.
“The world has a packaging problem and like all companies, we have a responsibility to help solve it,” said James Quincey, president and chief executive officer of the Coca-Cola Company. “Through our world without waste vision, we are investing in our planet and our packaging to help make this problem a thing of the past.” The company and its bottling partners are pursuing several key goals.
Investing in the planet
By 2030, for every bottle or can the Coca-Cola system sells globally, they aim to help take one back so it has more than one life. The company is investing its marketing dollars and skills behind this collection goal to help people understand what, how and where to recycle. Coca-Cola will support collection of packaging across the industry, including bottles and cans from other companies. The Coca-Cola system will work with local communities, industry partners, customers and consumers to help address issues like packaging litter and marine debris.
Investing in packaging
To achieve its collection goal, the Coca-Cola company will continue to work towards making all of its packaging 100% recyclable. The company is producing better bottles, whether through more recycled content, by developing plant-based resins, or by reducing the amount of plastic in each container. By 2030, the Coca-Cola system also aims to make bottles with an average of 50% recycled content. The goal is to set a new global standard for beverage packaging. Currently, majority of the company’s packaging is recyclable. These efforts are part of the company’s larger strategy to grow with conscience, by becoming a total beverage company that grows in the right way.
“Bottles and cans shouldn’t harm our planet, and we should grow and prosper in a litter-free world,” said Quincey. “Consumers around the world care about our planet, and they expect companies to take action. That’s exactly what we’re going to do, and we invite others to join us in this critical journey.”
The Coca-Cola Company will work to achieve these goals with the help of several global partners, including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative, The Ocean Conservancy/Trash Free Seas Alliance and World Wildlife Fund (the cascading materials vision and bioplastic feedstock alliance). Coca-Cola will also launch initiatives with new partners at the regional and local levels and plan to work with its key customers to help motivate consumers to recycle more packaging.
