„Coca-Cola“, „Nestlé“ and „Danone“ will change the environmental claims on the labels of their plastic bottles in Europe. The commitment was made after a dialogue with the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities.
Companies will have to replace formulations such as „I am a bottle made of 100 percent recycled plastic“ with a more accurate text: „This bottle is made of 100 percent recycled plastic, except for the cap and label“.
There will also be a change in appeals to consumers. The inscription “Recycle me again“ will be replaced by “Recycle me“. This should avoid the suggestion that the bottle has already been recycled before purchase and will necessarily be turned into a new bottle after use.
Commitments will also apply online
The European Commission requires companies not to create a misleading overall impression about the environmental benefits of plastic packaging by combining different green claims or symbols. The same rules will also apply to digital campaigns on the internet and social networks.
The issue was raised with European consumer authorities in November 2023. Following the signals, the European Commission coordinated a dialogue with “Coca-Cola“, “Nestlé“ and “Danone“. According to the Commission “Coca-Cola“ and “Nestle“ have already implemented some of the agreements, including those on recycling claims in their digital campaigns.
National consumer protection authorities will monitor the implementation of the commitments. In case of non-compliance with the agreements, they can take action under European consumer protection rules.
Plastic production continues to grow
The changes to the labels come against the backdrop of continued growth in global plastic production. In 2024, 430.9 million tons of primary plastic were produced, which is 4 percent more than the previous year, according to data from the industry organization Plastics Europe.
Asia concentrated 57.2 percent of production, with China alone accounting for 34.5 percent. In the European Union, production is decreasing, while plastic imports from Asia are increasing.
Sources: bta.bg, agerpres.ro