Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone pledge to clarify claims about recycled plastic on bottles

Coca-Cola, Nestlé Waters and Danone have committed to modifying recycling claims on plastic bottles, following discussions with the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities. The announcement, made by the Commission on October 22, concerns both label wording and online advertising, so that buyers understand which part of the packaging is made from recycled plastic and are not given the implicit promise of guaranteed repeated recycling.

In brief

Coca-Cola, Nestlé Waters and Danone have committed to changing their recycling claims following discussions with the Commission and consumer protection authorities.

When the percentage of recycled plastic refers only to the bottle body, the exclusion of the cap and label must be clearly indicated, using the same font size.

The messages concerned, such as “Recycle me again” and “Let’s meet again!”, must not suggest guaranteed repeated recycling; simple calls to recycle remain possible.

Labels have up to 18 months from the acceptance of each commitment to be adapted. Some of Coca-Cola’s and Nestlé’s digital changes have already been implemented.

Authorities will verify implementation and may intervene in cases of non-compliance. The announcement is not a fine and does not prohibit every claim about recycled content.

The most visible change concerns statements such as “bottle made from 100% recycled plastic”. When the percentage refers only to the bottle body, the exclusion of the cap and label must appear next to the claim, in the same font size. Coca-Cola provides wording that explicitly incorporates this exclusion, while Nestlé Waters requires it to be stated directly alongside the message. Danone’s commitment allows a claim about the entire packaging only if it can be substantiated for all relevant components.

Recycled content, recyclability and actual recycling are different things. A bottle may contain recovered plastic without every component of the packaging originating from recycling. Nor does its collection after consumption guarantee that the material will be transformed into another bottle. The authorities’ action aims to ensure that labels do not mix up these meanings or create an exaggerated impression of the environmental benefits.

Coca-Cola will retain the call to “Recycle me” — “Recycle me” — without the word “again”, while Nestlé Waters will no longer use messages such as “Let’s meet again!”. The Commission explains that such slogans may suggest that a bottle has already been recycled before purchase and will become a bottle again. Companies may continue encouraging the correct disposal of packaging to enable recycling.

The three documents also cover how environmental benefits are presented. Claims must not be combined with symbols or other messages that are misleading, and digital communication must comply with the commitments made. At the same time, the companies specify that reused virgin PET scraps that have not gone through the recycling process required by European rules are not included as recycled material in the claims concerned.

The changes will not appear simultaneously on all packaging. The commitments allow up to 18 months from their acceptance to adapt labels; the Coca-Cola and Danone documents allow existing stocks to be depleted within this period. For digital communication, Nestlé Waters and Danone provide for updates within three months where these are still necessary, while Coca-Cola undertakes to make efforts to comply with the same period.

These deadlines do not all begin on the date of the Commission’s announcement. The dialogue with Coca-Cola ended in June 2025, while that with Nestlé ended in February 2026. According to the Commission, the two companies have already implemented some of the commitments, especially in digital campaigns. The Danone document published on the institution’s website is dated October 16, 2026.

The initiative began with an alert submitted in November 2023 by the European consumer organization BEUC. The discussions were coordinated by the Commission and conducted within the European consumer protection cooperation network by the Swedish consumer protection authority and the Hungarian competition authority. The commitments concern the European market, including Romania, without the announcement providing a list of the brands or packaging that have already been changed in each country.

National authorities will monitor the implementation of the commitments and may take measures if they are not respected. The Commission states that the improved messages proposed by the companies comply with the requirements of European consumer legislation. However, the outcome is not a fine or a court judgment, and the companies’ documents specify that undertaking the commitments does not constitute acknowledgment of a previous infringement. The statement “100% recycled” remains possible if it is accurate and clearly delimited.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/coca-cola-nestle-si-danone-se-angajeaza-sa-clarifice-afirmatiile-despre-plasticul-reciclat-de-pe-sticle