Coca-Cola Hungary announces production of lighter cans, bottles | Progresiv
Coca-Cola Hungary announced reducing the weight of its aluminum cans by 13% and its PET bottles by 4% this year, in order to reduce the companyʼs ecological footprint, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal. 
Coca-Cola says that canned beverages manufactured in Hungary and marketed in 19 countries will see a reduction in aluminum use amounting to 170 tons a year, effective 2020, reducing the environmental strain of production and delivery. The company has also replaced the shrink-wrap used in its pallets, leading to a reduction of 43 tons in packaging materials this year.
The company argues that since the packages are lighter, shipping requires fewer resources and less energy.
One of the next steps in the companyʼs process of making its products more environmentally-friendly is the replacement of the packaging of its four- and six-pack offers to an innovative cardboard-based alternative. The measure will come into effect in 2021.
According to the press release, one of the main aims of Coca-Cola’s global World Without Waste strategy is to recycle as many plastic bottles and aluminum cans as it sells.
Coca-Cola’s PET bottles sold in Hungary are already made from materials that can be completely recycled and the aim is to introduce PET bottles made from 100% recycled materials. As a result, the rate of recycled PET bottles is constantly growing. Currently, they account for an average of 24%, which will increase to 50% by 2030.
The plastic used in Hungarian packaging was reduced by 15% in recent years, and the investments in technical development this year will reduce the amount of plastics used for bottling soft drinks by another 4%. This means that the company will reduce its plastic use by an annual 600 tons, which equals the weight of 2approximately 4 million PET bottles.
PET bottles add up 3% of the overall packaging waste in Hungary. (bbj.hu)
