Coca-Cola has announced the launch of new KeelClip packaging as part of its sustainable packaging strategy.
KeelClip is a cardboard packaging solution, the introduction of which will eliminate the use of more than 200 tonnes of shrink wrap plastic across the island of Ireland annually, Coca-Cola said.
The company has also announced that Sprite will now be sold in clear bottles instead of green ones. According to Coca-Cola, while Sprite bottles have always been 100% recyclable, their green colour made it harder for them to be recycled back into clear bottles through mechanical recycling. The switch from green to clear will significantly increase the value of the bottles when being reused or repurposed, the company said.
"Delighted"
Coca-Cola Ireland country manager Petre Sandru stated, "Despite this unpredictable year, as a system, we have remained focussed on achieving our ambition of a world without waste. Central to this is our investment in more sustainable packaging design and ensuring our products are as easy to recycle as possible.
"Earlier this year, we announced our plans to introduce KeelClip packaging, and we're delighted to see it now in market. The transition of the iconic green Sprite bottle to a clear bottle is also another move made by us to ensure our packaging is easy to recycle, enhancing efforts to keep materials in use for as long as possible.
"Our efforts won't stop there. We're continuing to champion greater collection and recycling of our packaging, with an ambition to collect back and recycle 100% of all bottles and cans we sell by 2030. Recently, we were delighted that The Coca-Cola Foundation was able to support environmental charity Hubbub and Dublin City Council to roll-out Dublin #CircleCity today, a new on-street recycling initiative encouraging the public to recycle plastic bottles and aluminium cans in the city centre. This initiative is live on the streets of Dublin for the coming months and we're looking forward to learning from it and understanding the impact an initiative of its kind can have."
"Immensely Proud"
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland general manager Miles Karemacher commented, "We're immensely proud to be one of the first markets in Europe to introduce this new KeelClip packaging across our multi-pack cans. This move helps us to progress our world without waste goals by eliminating the need for more than 200 tonnes of shrink wrap plastic annually, and also offers superb shopper appeal.
"At Coca-Cola HBC, we remain firmly committed to our sustainability journey. All of the bottles and cans we sell are 100% recyclable, and we are proud to have invested extensively in recycled PET in recent years. Today, 45% of our total plastic portfolio is made of recycled materials, which has eliminated the need for 3,450 tonnes of new plastic each year. We have also reduced the plastic used in our bottles by 10% since 2018, saving 1,000 tonnes of plastic annually."
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