Packaging & Recycling

Depending on the product, we use PET bottles, cans, returnable glass bottles, or dispenser solutions. We prioritize packaging that is recyclable or reusable, protects our products, and enhances a wide range of enjoyable moments. We continuously work on improving and optimizing our existing packaging while also developing innovative, packaging-reduced alternatives and solutions.

WE GIVE 100% TO OUR PORTFOLIO.

To close material loops, high-quality recycled PET material is incorporated into new PET beverage bottles through a sophisticated recycling process. The EU has set a target requiring PET bottles to contain at least 25% recycled content by 2025 and 30% by 2030. With our portfolio made from 100% recycled PET bottles, excluding labels and caps, we are making our important contribution toward achieving these goals.

All products produced at our Edelstal plant for the Austrian market are filled into bottles made from 100% recycled PET material.
 

INCREASING COLLECTION RATES 

Whether it is PET bottles or aluminium cans, high collection and recycling rates are essential for enabling efficient recycling. The amendment to Austria’s Waste Management Act and the introduction of the deposit return system for single-use beverage containers in 2025 help significantly increase these rates and ensure the availability of valuable secondary raw materials.

With the introduction of the deposit return system for single-use beverage containers on January 1, 2025, Austria took an important step towards a circular economy. In 2025, 81.5% of all deposit-bearing cans and bottles were returned through collection points. (Source: Recycling Pfand Österreich)
 

WE'RE GOING REUSABLE.

Reusable glass bottles are successfully used across the hospitality sector for the majority of our brands. Refillable premix and postmix solutions are available for dispensing systems. Our soft drink brands Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta and Sprite, as well as Römerquelle Mineral Water and Römerquelle Emotion, are also available in reusable packaging in Austrian supermarkets. We are committed to continuously expanding this offering.

WE’RE RETHINKING PACKAGING SOLUTIONS.

While reusable packaging and the deposit return system for single-use beverage containers are important milestones on the path towards higher collection and recycling rates, we are also pursuing other packaging innovations and solutions that reduce packaging. 

Potential lies here, among other things, in packaging-reduced beverage options - and specifically in dispenser solutions: Since 2018, the Coca-Cola Freestyle, an innovative beverage dispenser, has been in operation, allowing consumers to mix up to 114 different beverage combinations. In addition to its wide product range, the dispenser has the advantage of requiring very little space and only a water connection. The different flavors come directly from cartridges, and the beverages are freshly mixed at the push of a button.

A more compact version - the Coca-Cola Freestyle Compact - was introduced for the first time in Austria in 2022. By combining cartridges, bag-in-boxes, and flavor shots, it allows users to mix 40 flavor variations with just a few button presses.