Packaging

Packaging plays a big part in our sustainability journey. The challenge is big, but so is our commitment to finding solutions that work for people, communities, and the planet.

Just as we offer drinks for every occasion, we’re creating packaging choices that make it easier for you to return, recycle, or reuse your bottles or cans. In Europe, we focus on designing packs that are recyclable and building systems to collect and refill or recycle them better.

Globally, almost all (99%¹) of our primary consumer packaging is recyclable, and we are working on the remaining packages. We’re also working to increase the percentage of recycled material in our primary packaging. 

We’re making our bottles lighter and we’ve pioneered new multipack solutions that replace plastic film with recyclable paper-based alternatives.

A good example of design-for-recyclability is our global transition of Sprite bottles from green to clear PET, completed or underway in over 100 countries. Clear PET improves recycling yields and food‑grade rPET availability - supporting both regulatory compliance and system efficiency.

We’re partnering across Europe to build Deposit Return Systems (DRS). These schemes deliver real results helping us to recover more bottles and cans, and in better condition for recycling. Today, there are 19 DRS² live across Europe, with the potential to achieve a 90% return rate after three years, as seen in Sweden and Norway. These schemes help to close the packaging loop – providing a reliable supply of high-quality feedstock for recycled material, which can in turn be used to make new bottles and cans.

We continue to expand reusable packaging solutions, and we’ve invested in five new returnable bottle production lines across Europe in the last three years.

Read more about how the Coca‑Cola system is scaling refillable bottles all over the world: How The Coca‑Cola System Is Scaling Refillable Bottles Around the World

Sustainable innovation means pushing boundaries and learning fast. It’s about rethinking our supply chains, listening to our consumers, and actively working toward solutions that help build a more sustainable future.

DOWNLOAD OUR 2025 ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE: 2025 Environmental Update

____
1. This metric includes our primary consumer packaging, which excludes caps and labels and cups for fountain and dispensed solutions that are mainly purchased by our customers. The Coca‑Cola Company defines a package as recyclable when: (a) a system and practice is in place for recycling and (b) multiple regions have a 30% or higher post-consumer recycling rate and collectively represent at least 400 million inhabitants.

2. Correct July 2026