{"id":680264,"date":"2026-01-07T16:19:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T16:19:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/680264\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T16:19:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T16:19:20","slug":"coca-cola-sparks-backlash-with-major-change-to-its-products-heres-whats-happening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/680264\/","title":{"rendered":"Coca-Cola sparks backlash with major change to its products \u2014 here’s what’s happening"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coca-Cola Company<\/a> has introduced new paper-based packaging in some of its European markets, but environmental experts question whether the change will have any meaningful impact.<\/p>\n

What’s happening?<\/p>\n

According to International Business Times<\/a>, Coca-Cola has introduced recyclable paper and cardboard handles that hold six 1.5-liter bottles together in select European markets, replacing traditional plastic packaging.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The design was developed by Coca-Cola HBC Austria in partnership with DS Smith and Krones, and it is estimated that it will eliminate around 242 tons of plastic per year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stefano Rossi, CEO of DS Smith’s Packaging Solutions Division, said in a statement<\/a> that the packaging was designed using the company’s Circular Design Metrics approach to use as little material as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Coca-Cola and DS Smith have not announced any plans to expand the packaging to other markets in Europe or the United States.<\/p>\n

Why is Coca-Cola’s packaging important?<\/p>\n

Coca-Cola has the dubious distinction of being named the world’s worst plastic polluter<\/a> for several years in a row, pumping more than 100 billion single-use plastic bottles annually into the world, many of which end up in landfills, oceans, and communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Those plastics break down into microplastics<\/a>, which have infiltrated almost every sector of life, showing up in human bloodstreams and even brains.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the production of plastic and its presence in landfills contribute to planet-warming air pollution, which traps heat in the atmosphere and increases global temperatures. Warmer weather exacerbates extreme weather events<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Changing even part of the company’s packaging<\/a> to a recyclable paper option is a step in the right direction, but many experts wonder if it is a genuine move toward sustainability or simply a case of greenwashing<\/a> \u2014 the intentional misleading of consumers about sustainability efforts to boost sales.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Greenpeace Africa<\/a> noted that the company tends to make “superficial” changes rather than working to actually reduce the root cause of its plastic pollution.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The company does have sustainability goals listed on its website<\/a>, aiming to use 35% to 40% recycled material in its primary packaging, including increasing recycled plastic use to 30% to 35% globally by 2035.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It also said it is working to ensure 70% to 75% of the equivalent number of bottles and cans it introduces into the market are collected by 2035.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What’s being done about Coca-Cola’s plastic pollution?<\/p>\n

Coca-Cola is making strides to make its packaging sustainable, claiming 99% of its packaging was recyclable<\/a> in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, it still has a single-use plastic problem that significantly harms the planet and its inhabitants.<\/p>\n

Get TCD’s free newsletters<\/a> for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices \u2014 and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD’s exclusive Rewards Club<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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