Coca-Cola has announced that it is to replace plastic shrink-wrap from multipack beverage cans in Great Britain, with cardboard packaging, in the next 18 months.
The new packaging will be applicable on multipacks of 4, 6 and 8 cans of all Coca-Cola brands.
These include Coca-Cola original and zero sugar, Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Dr Pepper, and Lilt.
The company has already implemented the new packaging for packs of 10 cans and more.
The move is part of a wider initiative across Western Europe, which seeks to remove 4,000 tonnes of plastic from circulation across the region, Coca-Cola said.
Sustainable Packaging
General Manager of Coca-Cola Great Britain, Jon Woods, said, "By replacing shrink-wrap with cardboard, we are making it easier for consumers to recycle the packaging after they’ve enjoyed our drinks.
"We’re taking action wherever we can to ensure we’re removing unnecessary packaging and making sure all of our packaging is as sustainable as possible."
The cardboard used by Coca-Cola for packing the cans is 100% recyclable and derived from sustainable resources that have been certified by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification).
While the plastic used by the cola giant for wrapping multipack cans is recyclable, only 10% of local authorities collect the material for recycling according to data from Recoup 2018 UK Households Plastic Collection Survey.
On the other hand, Wrap Household Collection Report from June 2016 shows that 98% of local authorities accept cardboard as part of household recycling.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
