Sustainable packaging is central to our sustainability culture and mindset.
We minimise the environmental impacts of our packaging following our 3 Rs principle: Reduce, Recover & Re-Use. This approach has made a significant difference to our use of primary packaging material and our impact on the environment.
We continue to identify and capture incremental opportunities for packaging optimisation, driving innovation, our CSR agenda and ultimately cost reduction.
Packaging plays a vital role in maintaining the high quality and safety of our products. Bearing in mind the amount of packaging we use, this aspect of our business has a significant impact on the environment.
Therefore, we strive to minimise the impact of packaging in each phase of the life cycle – preparation, recycling and disposal – while improving its primary function and ensuring the quality of the product from the supply chain to the final consumer.
Our ultimate goal is to close the recycling circle, or convert already-used packaging into new. We continuously work to develop packaging that has less weight and reduce the amount of waste.
We are also committed to working with partners to establish a recycling infrastructure in Kosovo, as well as the education and promotion of recycling of packaging with consumers. Our integrated approach includes:
- Reducing production waste
- Optimising packaging
- Increasing recycled content and renewable materials in the composition of the new packaging – PET recycling plant origin
- Educating and involving consumers
- Reducing production waste
At all locations where we operate we comply with all legislative requirements in relation to waste management, as well as with the high standards of the Coca‑Cola HBC Group and The Coca‑Cola Company.
We keep records of all types of waste that are generated by our operations, both in the context of our business locations and when it comes to packaging waste that occurs after consumption of our products to water. All waste is handed over to certified waste management to get the highest possible percentage of waste recycled or reused.
Package optimisation
Packaging optimisation projects are our most important initiatives to reduce total waste and packaging waste on the market. They also contribute to the reduction of our company’s carbon footprint.
Focus on innovation: Plant bottle
We are extremely proud of our Plant bottle which we use to bottle our water bottles in 0.5L, 0.33L, 1.5L and 0.75L.
This innovative bottle is made using the latest Plant-BottleTM technology. It includes ethanol derived from sugar cane in Brazil, which is the first generation of biofuels accepted by ERAC worldwide because of its low environmental impact.
In their chemical and physical properties, Plant bottles are identical to classic PET packaging. Up to 30 percent of the raw materials required for producing PET granulate are obtained from materials of plant origin that have less impact on global warming and a lower energy footprint.
When you compare new Plant PET packaging with the old PET packaging, in performance terms there is no change in the conversion process, PET granulates, conversion process tanks, the bottling process, the possibility of packaging recycling-financing, quality and production.