Coca-Cola promises to collect and recycle all its packaging by 2030

Coca-Cola has become the latest company to address concerns about packaging waste as it unveiled plans to help collect and recycle every bottle it sells by 2030.

The world's biggest soft drinks company said that it was “fundamental reshaping” its approach to help “create a world without waste.” 

Coca-Cola, whose brands include Fanta, Sprite, Oasis, Lilt and Schweppes, has joined a host of multinationals that are taking steps to address packaging concerns. 

Danone’s mineral water brand Evian said that it planned to make its plastic bottles 100% recyclable by 2025 and McDonald’s has set itself a goal to use all recycled or otherwise environmentally friendly materials for its cups, happy meal boxes, and other packaging by 2025. 

Coca-Cola rival PepsiCo also set a goal last year to make 100% of its packaging recoverable or recyclable by 2025. 

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• Heineken to grow Red Stripe brand with $16mn investment in production line
• The UK’s food and drink industry has cut emissions by more than half

Coca-cola’s ‘World Without Waste’ initiate aims to recycle a bottle for every new Coke bottle sold.

The Atlanta-based beverage giant will also invest in promoting understanding of recycling, working with local communities to improve recycling infrastructure for example. 

Coca-Cola's CEO and president James Quincey said: "If left unchecked, plastic waste will slowly choke our oceans and waterways. The world’s packaging problem is a symptom of a more serious condition.

“We're using up our earth as if there’s another one on the shelf just waiting to be opened,” he added, “Bottles and cans shouldn’t harm our planet, and a litter-free world is possible.”

According to market researcher Euromonitor, one million plastic bottles are purchased worldwide every minute. That’s the equivalent of 480bn bottles per year.