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PACKAGING

Taking action on packaging

Coca‑Cola offers beverages in a variety of packaging options – glass and plastic bottles, aluminium cans and refillable packaging. Each of these can play a role in helping reduce packaging waste and emissions. We are focusing efforts to use more recycled content and supporting collection rates, both of which require enabling policies and the growth of collection infrastructure.

Our goals - from design to collection

Designed to be recycled

We aim to use 35 to 40% recycled material in our primary packaging (plastic, glass, aluminum) globally, this includes increasing our recycled plastic use from 30% to 35% by 2035 worldwide.

In New Zealand all our plastic bottles under 1 litre in NZ are made from 100% recycled plastic (excluding caps and labels).

Partner to collect

Coca‑Cola globally aims to help ensure the collection of 70% to 75% of the equivalent number of bottles and cans introduced into the market annually by 2035.

How to recycle in New Zealand

Used and empty cans and bottles aren’t done when you are. We can help prevent them becoming waste by recycling them and helping them have another life.

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Made to be remade, from green to clear

Sprite’s iconic green plastic bottles have made the switch to clear plastic, around the world, including New Zealand, making them easier to recycle into new bottles locally. The move from green to clear Sprite bottles means these bottles are now more likely to be remade into new bottles.

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Refresh. Recycle. Repeat.

In 2019, we transitioned all single-serve bottles to 100% rPET (the term used for recycled PET) in New Zealand.

This means that all of our plastic bottles under 1 litre and all of our water bottles in all sizes are made with 100% recycled plastic (excluding caps and labels).

Marine litter and packaging partnerships

Protecting the world's oceans from debris is a significant responsibility we can't tackle alone. That's why in New Zealand, Australia and globally we partner with experts, nonprofits, our industry and governments to support innovation and actions that help curb the flow of plastic waste.

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Our partnerships making a difference

Sea Cleaners - making waves in the fight against marine litter

Since 2019, with the support of The Coca‑Cola Foundation, Sea Cleaners has collected more than 376,000 kilograms of marine litter* from Auckland's waterways and coordinated over 13,000 volunteer hours.

*amount collected between Jan 2019 and Nov 2023

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Eco Barge Clean Seas – cleaning the Great Barrier Reef

Coca‑Cola Australia has been partnering with Eco Barge Clean Seas since 2018 to help clean up over 23,000kg* of marine debris from the Great Barrier Reef. We’ve also helped ensure that much of the material dredged from the ocean does not end up in landfill.

*amount of marine litter collected between January 2018 and November 2022.

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The Ocean Cleanup partnership

Coca‑Cola is partnering with The Ocean Cleanup in Southeast Asia to help prevent plastic waste flowing from rivers into the world’s oceans. 

No two rivers are the same. This partnership supports the trial of innovative ‘Interceptor’ technology including solar powered boats, barriers, guards and tenders, to help clean and stem the flow of plastic from rivers into oceans.

Bringing together Coca‑Cola teams on the ground together with The Ocean Cleanups technology, the partnership is helping scale solutions.

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Frequently asked questions

A: We design our packaging to be recyclable and aim to increase the percentage of recycled material in our primary packaging (plastic, glass and aluminum), including the use of more recycled plastic. The use of recycled content can also help reduce our related potential emissions.

In New Zealand all our plastic bottles under 1 litre  in NZ are made from 100% recycled plastic (excluding caps and labels)

We continue to work to help collect our bottles and cans so they can be recycled or reused. In New Zealand we support a Container Return Scheme, which gives our cans and bottles the best chance of becoming a can and bottle again.

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A: We have operations nearly everywhere in the world—in more than 200 countries and territories. That means we have a responsibility to accelerate our efforts to help address water stress, protect local water resources and help build community climate resilience—communities’ ability to adapt to these changing conditions. 

Since 2015, we have met or exceeded our goal to return more than 100% of the water used in our finished products globally, on an aggregate level, to nature and communities*. 

* With support from The Coca‑Cola Foundation, the company’s owned and independent bottling partners and independent suppliers and partners.

We are taking action to help mitigate the impacts caused by climate change, which poses risks to our business and our stakeholders. Our approach considers the links between our sustainability goals to reduce emissions—from sourcing of ingredients to packaging to water use.

We aim to reduce our scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions in line with a 1.5°C trajectory by 2035, from a 2019 baseline*. Achieving this ambition requires additional investments in new technologies and renewable sources and working with bottling partners and suppliers to reduce their direct emissions, which are the company’s Scope 3 emissions.

Where we’re making a difference

Our sustainability progress (PDF)