Coca-Cola has launched an ambitious strategy called “World Without Waste” to drive systemic change, focusing on the circular economy for packaging.
- By 2025, innovative packaging design will make 100% of Coca-Cola’s packaging globally recyclable, and by 2030, at least 50% recycled material will be used.
- By 2030, at least 25% of its beverages sold globally by volume will be in refillable/returnable glass or plastic bottles or reusable fountain dispensers.
- Coca-Cola has partnered with PETCO, Producer Responsibility Organisation NPC in South Africa, to increase collection efforts and divert packaging waste from landfill.
- Coca-Cola aims to collect and recycle one bottle or can for each one it sells by 2030 and encourages consumers to remember the three “Rs” that make the circular economy possible: Reuse, Refill and Reduce.
- Several spin-off collaborations have emerged, including with BanQu, which uses blockchain technology to create a digital record of recyclables, allowing buy-back centres to track the types of materials coming in and the value of those materials to their business.
- Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) has introduced a 2-litre refillable PET bottle in several provinces, including the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, North West, Mpumalanga, parts of the Free State, and most recently in KwaZulu-Natal.
- Bottling partner Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB) in the Western Cape has been using returnable packaging since the introduction of the 1.5-litre pack in 1992.
- Consumer engagement is critical to making a difference and ensuring a greener future for all.
- Overall, Coca-Cola is committed to supporting a circular economy in South Africa for a sustainable, greener future through innovative packaging design, partnerships with stakeholders, and initiatives to increase collection and recycling efforts.