As part of its "World Without Waste" packaging campaign, Coca-Cola (Atlanta, Georgia / USA; www.coca-cola.com) has announced recycling targets for its bottles. These include making all packaging used across the group 100% recyclable, in cooperation with bottling companies. By 2030, the company aims to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells. The company notes that its current packaging is completely suitable for recycling already. Global collection of packaging should be supported industry-wide, including the collection of containers from other manufacturers. By 2030, the company also aims to make bottles and cans that contain an average of 50% recycled material. The company says it will invest "a few million dollars" for this.

"The world has a packaging problem – and like all companies, we have a responsibility to help solve it," says James Quincey, president and CEO of Coca-Cola. "With our vision of a world without waste, we are investing in our planet and our packaging so that this problem will soon be a thing of the past."

Coca-Cola sees the inadequate supply of food-grade rPET in many markets worldwide as a barrier to sustainability. In addition, the price is often too high when compared to virgin PET. In 2016, 21% of PET used for Coca-Cola brands was recycled material. Around 7.6% of all its PET bottles were "PlantBottles" (produced entirely from renewable raw materials). Together with partners along the value chain, the company plans to more than double the amount of rPET in its bottles in the next few years. It also said organic materials should also be increased, but did not define a target for this.

Subsidiary Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP, Uxbridge / UK; www.cokecce.co.uk) announced at the end of 2017 that it would target for 100% of its packaging to be recyclable or reusable and a minimum 50% recyclate content in PET bottles across Western Europe – by 2025. This is a part of the company's "This is Forward" initiative. Tim Brett, president of Coca-Cola's Western Europe business, said sustainability has always been central to the business. Other objectives on the plan relate to sugar content in beverages and personnel. For example, it wants to increase the proportion of women in management positions in Western Europe to at least 40% by 2025.