CocaCola HBC Challenge Lead 2022

Coca-Cola HBC Österreich

CupCIRCULAR!

“How might we replace single-use cups for dine-in, takeaway but also delivery, with a circular solution so that we can reduce our climate impact?”

Additional information about our packaging strategy can of course be found on our website: https://at.coca-colahellenic.com/de/a-more-sustainable-future

Coca-Cola HBC Austria has set itself ambitious sustainability goals based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Especially in the area of “packaging & recycling” we want to act as an innovation leader and are constantly working on optimizing existing packaging and finding packaging-free alternatives for our products.

In quick-service restaurants, cinemas, or even workspaces,  disposable cups are already being used, which are mainly made of paper but still contain five percent plastic. This results in disadvantages, especially with regard to the recyclability of the packaging, but also due to the production of packaging waste. Therefore, we are looking for alternatives to replace single-use cup systems with a sustainable and cost-efficient variant that does not negatively affect the drinking experience.

The background to the challenge is the EU directive on reducing the impact of single-use plastic, which will ban products for which there are already more sustainable alternatives from 2021 onwards. This includes food packaging, beverage containers and beverage cups made of expanded polystyrene (EPS). Products made of so-called oxo-degradable plastic are generally prohibited. In addition, the consumption of products for which there is no such alternative should be noticeably reduced. This includes plastic cups and food packaging.

With regard to solving the challenge, a long-term and sustainable perspective must therefore be taken. In addition, it is important to consider that especially in the area of quick-service, several hundred customers have to be processed in the shortest possible time every day. That’s why operational efficiency is high on our partners’ list of priorities.

A sustainable future for our environment is the responsibility of all of us. We are aware that our packaging and how it is handled are in the focus of current discussions about plastic and plastic waste. Sustainability not only reached the top of the public agenda, but also the top of the agenda of our consumers, customers and partners.

As a global company we must take on this challenge and a pioneering role to stay competitive and win in a marketplace where the careful use of resources is gaining importance.

We are looking for a solution that not only offers added value for us and our partners on the Austrian market from a sustainability perspective, but which also makes sense in terms of costs and does not negatively affect the quality of the beverages or the drinking experience for consumers. Within this framework, we are open to creative solutions.

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Coca‑Cola HBC Austria is one of the biggest companies in the non-alcoholic beverage industry in the country and is a franchised bottler of The Coca‑Cola Company. Together we refresh Austria – since 1929.

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