From:Packaging News

Coca-Cola GB is setting itself more ambitious targets as part of its sustainability strategy

The soft drinks giant outlined its plans following the report of its Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report. Coca-Cola GB said that around 34% of the PET purchased in 2014 was recycled – it is now targeting 40% by 2020.

“In 2011 we published our first set of sustainability targets,” said Joe Franses, Coca-Cola Enterprises director of corporate responsibility and sustainability. “Some of these we have met and some we have evolved. Stakeholders now want us to go faster and more quantifiable. It’s our aspiration to grow our business and to deliver what we do in a low carbon, zero waste way.”

Coca-Cola GB has set itself the goal of recycling more packaging that it uses by “championing improvements to collection schemes and supporting the recycling industry”. It is targeting this to be done by 2020.

It aims to annually ensure that 100% of its cans and bottles are fully recyclable. By 2025, the company aims to support the development of infrastructure and technology to enable recycling of other materials.

On lightweighting, Coca-Cola GB is targeting a 25% reduction in the amount of material it uses across all packaging formats by 2020. It is also continuing its work to support the wider packaging industry to explore “next generation packaging”.

Coca-Cola GB also highlighted its desire, by 2020, to cut the carbon footprint of a product by a third. It also aims, by 2020, to reduce the absolute carbon footprint of its core business by 50%.

“Sustainability is about doing the right thing,” said Coca-Cola Enterprises vice president and general manager Leendert den Hollander. “We have been on a journey and it is important to have a strategy and an action plan. It is about delivering.”