How committed is your company to sustainable packaging? Multinational soft drinks manufacturer, Coca-Cola, laid out a commitment to sustainability, which many thought was unachievable. In fact the company has so far refilled or recovered 60% of the bottles and cans it has introduced into the marketplace; it’s goal by 2020 is 75%. We explore how they intend to go that extra mile to ‘ensure all packaging is as sustainable as possible’.>
What’s really being done and could we do more?
Global Companies Lead us into Sustainability.
In everyday life we have high expectations of manufacturers and their commitment to the environment. We like to think of ourselves as closet eco-warriors, weighing up one purchase against the perceived environmental value of another product. Our environmental conscience leads us to make enlightened choices, based on what we can see on packaging and manufacturers are starting to harness that value.
Global brand Coca-Cola have long since had a sustainability strategy, which to date has helped to support: communities, agriculture, water and women. In their next phase they plan to reduce large PET bottles to 40% in 2018, with PET reduced by 50% across their entire portfolio. To add to their environmental promises, they are also adding to packaging labels, messages: ‘Please recycle me’ and ‘I am 100% recyclable’ to packs and bottle sleeves. On a marketing front there is much to be done….advertising recycling on the go and engaging social media and anti-litter campaigns to engage with customers inside and outside the home.
Greenpeace campaigners will be thrilled to know that CCEP (Coca-Cola European Partners) and Coca-Cola are in collaborative talks with partners to ensure the success of a deposit return system in Great Britain.To accomplish this a well-designed scheme has to be in place, with all partners showing a commitment. With statistics showing an increase in ocean plastic and with 12 million tonnes of plastic entering our environment every year, a deposit scheme from a global player like Coca-Cola can only help to lead the way to a UK-wide deposit scheme.
There is much that can be done to make manufacturers and retailers more sustainable. A big fish like Coca-Cola has the funding to back up change, but that doesn’t mean smaller companies can’t affect change too. From packaging standardisation, to less void fill, to recycled packaging, packaging messages and reducing your carbon footprint, there are challenges that can be met head on with success.
Allpack® have a team of consultants that can help you to start your sustainability journey. Changes, big or small, are better than no change at all and we’re here to help. We offer a range of services and solutions that can be tailored to your companies needs.
Contact us today for a free no-obligation consultation.
Source:
‘Coca-Cola European Partners Continues Sustainability Packaging Pledge’: 13 July 2018: Eilis Cronin: Industry News
‘The Evidence is Clear- We need a UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme’: 8 Nov 2017, Tisha Brown: Greenpeace.
Statistics obtained via the Coca-Cola Company website.