Packaging Design

We are fundamentally rethinking how we get our products to consumers, including what kind of packaging to use and whether a package is needed at all. ​

We strive to make all our plastic bottles, aluminum cans, aluminum bottles and glass bottles recyclable. Some beverages are served in alternative materials, so we are working with suppliers to change or redesign those packages.

The use of recycled materials in food-grade packaging is a higher standard than other products. This will take time and changes in policy and technology, however we are working to help bring these changes to the industry.

Our brand and market teams are actively working on these changes.​

We have set a goal to reduce our use of virgin plastic derived from nonrenewable sources by a cumulative 3 million metric tons over the next five years. In 2025, depending on business growth, we project that we will use approximately 20% less virgin plastic than we do today.

Investing in leading edge and innovative technologies, we continue to lead in packaging innovation and research for alternative packaging and options.

We are developing new packaging types, such as Marine Bottle, the first-ever beverage bottle using recovered and recycled marine plastics.

By 2030, we aim to have at least 25% of our beverages worldwide by volume sold in either refillable/returnable glass or plastic bottles or in fountain dispensers with reusable packaging.

Each packaging type has its own benefits and trade-offs, depending on the material and its attributes, such as its recycled content, reusability and recyclability; the rate at which the package is recovered; and its impacts if it is not properly managed when discarded. We are working toward more sustainable packaging for our beverages.

Versatile, lightweight material that is highly recyclable with a carbon footprint that varies from low to moderate depending on the input material (recycled, plant-based or virgin) and whether the bottle is collected and refilled or recycled.

Lightweight, high-value, nearly infinitely recyclable and preferred by some consumers because it's recycled at a relatively high rate. Its carbon footprint varies from moderate to high depending on whether it is made from energy-intensive virgin aluminum (and what that energy source is) or recovered aluminum.

A heavy, breakable and sometimes low-value material, glass is less attractive to recycle than other materials. However, it can be manufactured to be readily refillable and has a low carbon footprint when collected and refilled.

Many consumers carry reusable bottles and cups, and we’re inventing a variety of ways for them to enjoy our products, including Coca‑Cola Freestyle and DASANI PureFill.

Packages made of a combination of paper, plastic and foil have relatively low carbon footprints and are compact and lightweight, but they are only recyclable where infrastructure exists.