Using recycled materials

All of our glass and aluminium packaging already contains a high proportion of recycled materials:

Our glass bottles contain an average of 37% recycled glass
Our aluminium cans contain around 50% recycled aluminium

As well as reducing the amount of raw materials we use, this also saves considerable energy. Using recycled aluminium, for example, saves up to 95% of the energy required to manufacture aluminium from its raw form.

We use large amounts of PET. Essentially, plastic doesn't decompose when it's left in landfill sites, so our goal is to use as much recycled PET in our plastic bottles as possible. We aim to raise this recycled content to 25% across Europe by the end of 2012 - and we're on track to achieve that.

Recycled PET

In order to use recycled PET (rPET) in our plastic bottles on a major scale, we need a ready local supply that is good quality - "food grade" - and has limited contamination. During 2007 and 2008, we have been working to secure reliable supplies of quality rPET for use in Great Britain.

In 2008, we started working with London-based Closed Loop Recycling. Their newly opened facility was the first in Britain to recycle waste plastic bottles back into useful food packaging material. As soon as their recycled plastic is of suitable quality, we'll be sourcing rPET directly for use in our bottles.

The sustainable production of rPET depends on consumers recycling their bottles, so the continued growth and public interest in recycling is very encouraging. According to a WRAP survey in 2008, 92% of local authorities now provide plastic bottle collection facilities.

We're also supporting opportunities for people to recycle 'on-the-go' and our Recycle Zone project [link to recycle zone section] aims to provide 80 recycling facilities around the country by 2011.

We are delighted that Closed Loop Recycling's plant in London will help us purchase recycled PET here in the UK. It's very encouraging to see a process that allows waste to be collected from UK consumers, reprocessed locally, with the recycled product being put back to use in our factories across the UK.

Hubert Patricot, Managing Director, CCE Europe

Using Recycled Materials

We use recycled materials in our packaging as much as we can – our cans are 50% recycled aluminium, glass bottles around 40% recycled glass and we’re aiming to make our plastic bottles 25% recycled plastic by 2012.

Using Recycled Materials

Make sure you recycle: empty packaging isn’t waste, it’s valuable and can be used again and again through recycling – plastic can be used to make fibres for t-shirts, fleeces and bags or put back into bottles again.

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