The plastic pollution crisis is one of the biggest problems facing our world today, along with the climate crisis. Plastic waste is everywhere now, even in the uninhabited Arctic in the form of microplastic. Meanwhile, research has shown that we consume about a credit card worth of microplastic every week from our food and water supply being contaminated by microscopic plastic particles.
In a call for action, Coca-Cola is launching a new paper board technology that will replace all plastic wraps in European markets – phasing it out entirely by the end of 2021. The company has been getting a lot of lousy attention lately for being the number one plastic polluter in the world. Of all the waste found around the globe, products are from Coca-Cola the most.
In 2016, an estimated 320 million tons of plastic were produced worldwide. By 2034 that number is set to double. Furthermore, around 8 million pieces of plastic pollution make their way into the oceans daily! Many of it was found to be Coca-Cola products. Which is why they came up with an innovative and effective solution to cut down on the amount of plastic they’re putting out.
The paper board technology, called KeelClip, will replace all the plastic wrapping to multi-can packs. It’s a first for the non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) industry. The innovation is a development brought about by a shared ambition between Coca‑Cola and its key bottling partners, Coca‑Cola European Partners, and Coca‑Cola HBC.
The corporation’s goal is to eliminate plastic wrap in all European Union markets by using KeelClips for its multipacks. The transition will save 2,000 tons of plastic and 3,000 tons of CO2 every year.
Marcel Martin, Group Supply Chain Director, Coca-Cola HBC said:
KeelClip™ is our latest investment in innovative, sustainable packaging solutions. Alongside the four water brands we introduced this year in 100% recycled PET bottles, the increased use of recycled PET, and continued lightweighting across the portfolio, KeelClip™ is another demonstration of our commitment to delivering our World Without Waste goals.
Joe Franses, Vice President, Sustainability at Coca-Cola European Partners, said:
Innovation is a key principle of our sustainable packaging work and the application of this fully recyclable paperboard KeelClip™, which comprises a top board that the cans clip into and a central cardboard ‘keel’ – similar to a ship’s keel – that stabilizes the pack, is another example of how we are delivering on our commitment to remove all unnecessary and hard to recycle single-use plastic from our products.
Steve Gould, Graphic Packaging International’s New Product Development and Marketing Director, Beverage Division, Europe said:
The KeelClip™ technology is effective for can multi-packs of various diameters and heights. This means that we can provide a safe, effective package with no need for secondary plastic. When businesses such as Coca-Cola HBC and Coca-Cola European Partners invest in these technologies, we can really make a difference to the way we package goods and drive the industry to continue to change too.
Hopefully, more companies will follow suit with their own eco-friendly initiatives like this! There needs to be more of this sort of conscious approach to tackling plastic pollution, or else we’re all in big trouble.
