Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone have agreed to change recycling-related claims on their plastic bottle labels and in online marketing after talks with the European Commission and national consumer authorities.
The commitments follow a coordinated action by the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network — a group of national authorities that enforces EU consumer law — led by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority, the Commission announced on Thursday.
Under the changes, statements such as “I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic” will be replaced with wording that clarifies the cap and label are not included, such as: “This bottle is 100% recycled. Excluding cap and label.”
The companies also committed to change labels that say “Recycle me again” to “Recycle me.”
They will also ensure the overall impression of labels and marketing is not misleading about environmental benefits, including by avoiding combinations with other green claims or symbols that could confuse consumers.
Online marketing campaigns on company websites and social media will be updated to reflect the same commitments, the Commission said, adding that Coca-Cola and Nestlé have already implemented some of the changes to digital campaigns within set deadlines.
Monitoring and wider action
National consumer protection authorities will monitor whether the companies implement the commitments and may take enforcement measures if they do not comply, according to the Commission.
The Commission and the CPC network may also engage with bottling industry associations to ensure companies across the EU Single Market follow the same rules.
The action follows an alert issued in November 2023 by the European Consumer Organisation, known as BEUC, about bottling companies selling plastic bottles in the EU.
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said the commitments would help ensure traders are “transparent and fair in their labelling practices”, while Commissioner Michael McGrath stated that consumers “deserve accurate information” about environmental practices.
