Coca-Cola to replace plastic ring carriers with paperboard

Multi-packs of Coca-Cola cans using new-style paperboard ring carriers are being launched in Europe with the first roll-out in Spain.

The recyclable CanColler holders are being adopted by Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company

Spain is first European country where CanCollar recyclable paperboard-based rings will be rolled out on multipack cans by Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), to remove all unnecessary or hard to recycle plastic from its portfolio

The initiative will eventually avoid the use of more than 11,000 tonnes of virgin plastic a year across western Europe.

Initially, CCEP will launch the CanCollar in the Balearic Islands in November– a first in Europe. The CanCollar is made from sustainably sourced paperboard that is approved by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

Innovative packaging design is a core principle of Coca-Cola’s World Without Waste strategy and through collaboration with WestRock, a global paper products manufacturer that provides its customers with sustainably differentiated packaging, CCEP will start to use the CanCollar paperboard carrier technology in the Balearic Islands, replacing the current plastics system and saving more than 18 tonnes of plastic annually.

CCEP has invested €2.6 million (US$3m) in its Barcelona plant to support the initiative. The installation of WestRock’s CanCollar Fortuna manufacturing equipment will enable multipack cans to be grouped in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly way, with a process that does not require the use of glue or adhesives.

“The agreement with WestRock exemplifies our clear commitment to reduce plastic in our secondary packaging,” said Joe Franses, vice president of sustainability at CCEP. “By the end of 2020, we will have removed more than 4,000 tonnes of hard to recycle plastic from our secondary packaging in western Europe. It’s through collaborating on innovative packaging solutions like CanCollar that we are able to do this.”

Dwayne Irvin, vice president of enterprise solutions at WestRock added: “We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Coca-Cola. For 70 years we have supported Coca-Cola in bringing innovation to global beverage markets. CanCollar is the latest initiative supporting Coca-Cola’s vision to create a World Without Waste.”