The strategy sets out an ambition for the GB business unit to work with partners to recover all packaging so more is recycled.
Just 70% of cans and 57% of plastic bottles used each year are currently recycled. CCEP believes the figures can be higher.
The strategy focuses on three key areas: continuing to innovate to ensure packaging is as sustainable as possible; investing in consumer communication to promote recycling and encourage behaviour change; and championing reform of the UK recycling system to ensure more packaging is recovered and recycled.
In addition, CCEP will seek to advance its own knowledge of how consumers are motivated by an incentive-based scheme by testing an on-the-go bottle collection and reward programme. More details on trials will be announced later in the year.
Leendert den Hollander, vice president and general manager at CCEP GB, said: “Coca-Cola operates in Great Britain as two businesses – Coca-Cola Great Britain and its bottling partner Coca-Cola European Partners – and it is through this strong partnership that we have been able to make significant progress in recent years. However, both companies realise there is much more to be done and we have worked together to build an end-to-end strategy focused on meaningful actions in three key areas.
“Our goal is to work with local and national partners to ensure all of our packaging is recovered and recycled. Our new strategy sets out how we will start work to achieve that. We have focused on the actions we can take as a business – such as our ability to communicate to consumers on the importance of recycling – as well as the areas where we want to work in close collaboration with others to reduce litter and increase the recovery and recycling of plastic bottles.
“Our desire to double the amount of recycled material we use in our plastic bottles sends a clear signal that we want to play a positive role in supporting the circular economy here in Great Britain. Our ambition – and our ability to go further in the future – will require reform of the packaging collection system in Great Britain and we will work with others to champion the changes that are required to ensure all our valuable materials are recovered.”
To find out more, visit www.coca-cola.co.uk/sustainablepackaging and www.ccep.com.
