The large multipack sparkling drinks will now come in a 100%-recyclable cardboard and paper wrap that is easy to carry and recycle and can support the weight of a six-pack of 1.5-litre bottles
Coca-Cola replaces plastic handles with cardboard packaging in beverages. (Credit: Coca-Cola HBC)
Coca-Cola HBC, the bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company, has replaced the plastic shrink film on 1.5-litre multipacks of Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite with LitePac Top cardboard in Austria.
The large multipack sparkling drinks will now come in a 100%-recyclable cardboard and paper wrap that is easy to carry and recycle.
According to Coca-Cola HBC, the carrier and paper wrap are suitable for retailers to stack for sale. The industry-first packaging can also support the weight of a six-pack of 1.5-litre bottles which is equivalent to around 9kg.
The solution was the result of a strong international collaboration between Coca-Cola HBC, Krones, DS Smith, and Mondi.
According to DS Smith, the outer packaging is a 100% recyclable corrugated handle that improves carry functionality for consumers.
The packaging is said to have a soft grip that makes products easy to carry while they remain secure within their sustainable packaging.
The introduction of the new secondary packaging in Austria is predicted to save roughly 200 tonnes of plastic annually and drastically lower production energy costs.
The pilot project is intended to end the hefty and bulky multipack bottles packaged in shrink wrap, the Coca-Cola bottling partner said.
Coca-Cola HBC chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer Marcel Martin said: “This is the first-ever packaging solution of its kind for 1.5-litre multipacks of Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite.
“It’s the result of our entrepreneurial mindset, an absolute belief in collaborating with trusted partners and our focus on reaching net zero emissions by 2040.”
For more than three years, Coca-Cola HBC, Krones, DS Smith, and Mondi worked together to create and improve the new type of 100% recyclable cardboard carrier, recyclable paper wrap, and production tools needed to make it.
Before going on sale, the new package underwent a rigorous testing process to ensure its quality, consumer attractiveness, and portability, Coca-Cola HBC added.
DS Smith Packaging Solutions Division CEO Stefano Rossi said: “Collaboration with our partners Coca-Cola HBC and Krones is key to reducing single-use plastics and delivering innovative change at scale.”