BuzzBallz said its cocktail packaging was recyclable in the UK. Experts call that greenwashing

In the United Kingdom, BuzzBallz is facing scrutiny not for its products' taste or popularity but for what happens after they are emptied. 

The ready-to-drink cocktails built a following with bright colors, low prices, and distinctive round containers, yet BBC News reported that experts say the packaging is being presented as recyclable when it isn't.

What happened?

Language about the purportedly recyclable packaging disappeared from BuzzBallz's U.K. website after the outlet asked the company about it. BuzzBallz is owned by Sazerac Company.

BuzzBallz said the reference to TerraCycle recycling had been "incorrectly copied" during a global website update and did not apply to the U.K.; TerraCycle's BuzzBallz program operates only in the United States. 

BBC News noted the brand's U.K. FAQs had also stated: "Yes, our packaging is recyclable. Please recycle your empties where local facilities allow."

Adam Herriott, head of packaging at the Waste and Resources Action Programme, told the BBC that no facility in the U.K. accepts the product because the PET plastic ball and aluminum lid cannot be separated.

"They're a mix of two very recyclable materials that put together makes an unrecyclable format," Herriott said.

The Grocer's 2026 Britain's Biggest Alcohol Brands ranking listed BuzzBallz as the fastest-growing label, and student Aédén Rooney told the outlet that the drinks are popular because they're "strong, they're cheap for the amount of alcohol and the price you're paying — it's a no-brainer."

Why does it matter?

For young drinkers trying to do the right thing, a product marketed as fun and convenient may also send confusing signals about where it belongs after the party ends.

Misleading recyclability claims can create problems far beyond even a party's worth of drink containers. If consumers put nonrecyclables into recycling bins, it can contaminate entire material streams.

Herriott told BBC News that aluminum mixed into plastic recycling can reduce quality and create problems for processors. The container's unusual shape can also make sorting difficult, as the balls may roll along conveyor belts and slip past systems designed for standard packaging.

Waste analytics company Greyparrot co-founder Ambarish Mitra said the product had "no recovery route in the current system," according to the BBC. In the company's six-month study of a Manchester plastics recovery facility, BuzzBallz showed up as a contaminant in recycled plastic 66% of the time.

False sustainability messaging can waste time, muddy recycling habits, and shift responsibility onto shoppers instead of designers.

Laura Anderson, an environmental scientist and campaigner who goes by LessWasteLaura online, called the messaging "misleading" and told BBC News it was an example of greenwashing.

What can I do?

Mixed-material packaging can be difficult or impossible to recycle, especially when an item combines plastic and metal in a way that cannot be easily separated. Even if branding suggests recyclability, local rules are what matter.

If your area does not explicitly accept a packaging type, putting it in the recycling can do more harm than good. 

"I would rather they just said: 'This can't be recycled widely. Please just put it in the bin,'" Anderson said.

Consumers can instead favor products packaged in simpler formats, such as aluminum cans or other containers widely accepted by local recycling programs.

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