Packaging & Recycling

As part of our sustainability agenda, we are committed to a sustainable packaging mix and exclusively use packaging that is recyclable or reusable, protects our products, and meets a wide range of consumer needs. 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 an 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 additional packaging innovations and packaging-reduced solutions as part of our sustainability strategy. 

One area with significant potential is packaging-reduced beverage solutions, particularly through dispenser systems. Since 2018, Coca-Cola Freestyle has offered consumers an innovative way to enjoy up to 114 beverage combinations. In addition to its broad product range, the dispenser requires very little space and only a water connection. Flavours are supplied through cartridges, and beverages are freshly mixed at the push of a button.

A more compact version, the Coca-Cola Freestyle Compact, was introduced in Austria in 2022 and is currently being tested. By combining cartridges, Bag-in-Box solutions and Flavor Shots, it can create up to 40 beverage variations with just a few taps. 

Like the Coca-Cola Freestyle, the compact version offers sustainability benefits compared to packaged beverages, including reduced waste generation, lower water and energy consumption, and a smaller CO₂ footprint.