Small changes can add up, but when a corporation as large as Coca-Cola makes them, they tend to add up quickly.
As Packaging Europe reported, Coca-Cola is making what seems like a minor packaging change in one country, but the action is part of a pilot program to test the performance of a major change to a popular supermarket product.
Coca-Cola has earned the dubious honor of being named the world's worst plastic polluter for six years running, and because of its global reach, a significant portion of the plastic waste in our environment quite possibly originated with a Coke product.
A brand as large as Coca-Cola, with its numerous subsidiaries, necessarily has a huge scope of influence and impact worldwide, and Coke has seen its share of controversies. They include ongoing consumer frustration over recycling claims, a practice known as "greenwashing."
Coke has been accused of greenwashing more than once, along with allegations that the brand quietly upped its plastic usage earlier this year. At the same time, governments — particularly in Europe — have been incrementally moving to restrict single-use plastics, like grocery bags.
In Germany, Coca-Cola's six-pack of single-serve cola bottles long used a plastic film to form a retail multipack. The corporation is trialing a new, plastic-free approach, using adhesive dots and recycled cardboard in lieu of the simpler plastic binding.
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According to Packaging Europe, Coca-Cola aims to offer "the same functionality with less plastic and packaging waste," and it has tested the novel packaging solution extensively to ensure the new approach was manageable for transport and storage before bringing it to store shelves.
The trial is limited to one retailer in Germany, and the outlet reported that "feedback of the consumers is being closely observed in the shops as part of the pilot project," presumably to inform an eventual broader strategy.
From a consumer's standpoint, supporting eco-friendly steps by big brands like Coke is important, as it shows manufacturers that sustainability sells well.
Coca-Cola still has its work cut out for itself on the sustainability front, but LinkedIn commenters praised the change as encouraging.
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"To me, the glue dots approach is the most elegant solution to remove/replace plastic wraps used for bundling," one packaging expert remarked.
"Not new, but a nice solution!" a sustainable packaging developer said.
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