The Coca-Cola Company has made a commitment to deliver 25 per cent of its beverages in refillable bottles by 2030, up from a current 16 per cent.
The pledge was in in response to a shareholder proposal filed by sustainable-investing advocacy group As You Sow and the Green Century Capital Management. After additional analysis of the details of the company’s goal, the two will determine whether to withdraw the proposal.
“We are pleased to see the company increase its commitment to reusable bottles as a proven method to reduce single-use plastic waste and promote a circular economy for packaging,” said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president at As You Sow. “We agree with the company that reusable packaging is among the most effective ways to reduce waste, use fewer resources, and lower carbon emissions. This action has the potential to substantially reduce the amount of single-use plastic bottles used, many of which end up as ocean plastic pollution.”
brands by 2030.
A recent analysis by nonprofit ocean conservation organisation, Oceana indicated considerable potential to reduce ocean plastic by increasing refill market share. It concluded that boosting the share of refillable bottles by 10 per cent in all coastal countries in place of single-use PET bottles could reduce plastic bottle marine plastic pollution by 22 per cent.
According to The Coca-Cola Company, returnable glass bottles and refillable PET currently represent more than 50 per cent of its product sales in more than 20 markets, and more than 25 per cent of sales in another 20 markets.
The company says that traditional refillable/returnable packaging accounted for approximately 16 per cent of its total volume in 2020. It says that the use of refillables is growing in several markets, outperforming non-refillables in Germany and parts of Latin America, where reusable bottles represented 27 per cent of transactions in 2020.
A Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Australia spokesperson said: “Our local operations in Australia are now working to identify new opportunities to drive more reusable packaging in support of this global goal. Each market is unique and so our drinks delivery models are developed on a market-by-market basis.”
The Coca -Cola Company says that markets around the world have increased their focus on refillable packaging in recent years through initiatives which include:
- Expanding the rollout of the 'Universal Bottle' that was first introduced in 2018 by Coca-Cola Brazil and is now used in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala and Panama. This innovative solution drives efficiency of collection, cleaning and filling by offering multiple sparkling and still brands in the same reusable bottle with a single colour, shape and size. EMF recognised the Universal Bottle as a leading practice on reuse.
- Expanding the rollout of refillable 2-liter and 1.5-litre PET (RefPET) plastic bottles — which can be cleaned, refilled and reused before being recycled and made into new PET bottles — in South Africa.
- Collaborating with Carrefour to pilot a circular shopping system called Loop in France. Consumers can order a variety of products, including Coca-Cola beverages, delivered to their home in customised packaging that is collected, cleaned, refilled and reused or recycled.
- Partnering with Burger King and TerraCycle in the United States for a pilot program in select cities to reduce single-use packaging waste by offering reusable food containers and beverage cups.
- Introducing reusable cups with microchip technology for use with Coca-Cola Freestyle machines for use at theme parks, and on university campuses and cruise ships.
The Coca-Cola company said that these and other similar sustainability efforts have helped pave the way for the recently-announced global reusable packaging target to deliver 25 per cent of its beverages in refillable bottles by 2030. This target, it says, will require significant investment, particularly in markets with limited refillable/returnable infrastructure.
“Reusable packaging is among the most effective ways to reduce waste, use fewer resources and lower our carbon footprint in support of a circular economy,” said Ben Jordan, senior director, Packaging and Climate of The Coca-Cola Company. “We will continue to highlight markets that are leading the way with reusable packaging best practices, and to support other markets as they increase their use of reusable packaging,” Jordan said, adding that each market will approach the goal in a different way.
Late last year the company unveiled its first prototype 100% plant-based plastic beverage bottle (excluding the cap and label).
As part of its World Without Waste vision, The Coca-Cola Company is working to make all its packaging more sustainable, including maximising use of recycled and renewable content while minimising use of virgin, fossil material.
As the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) notes in its Reuse: Rethinking Packaging report, converting 20 per cent of global plastic packaging into reuse models is a $10 billion business opportunity that benefits customers and represents a crucial element in the quest to eliminate plastic waste and pollution.
