Coca-Cola Replaces Plastic Packaging With Sustainable Cardboard

To supplant over 90,000kg of plastic bundling rings, Coca-Cola is working with WestRock to execute a recyclable paperboard elective. We spoke to Mark Shaw, WestRock's EMEA and APAC business lead, to memorize more around the benefits and drawbacks of this modern arrangement.

 

Q: Firstly, can you give us a quick summary of this latest development?

 

Mark Shaw: While we are committed to reducing our use of plastic and replacing plastic with paper-based alternatives wherever possible, it is undeniable that recyclable PET is still the main beverage container. WestRock's PETCollar range eliminates the need for any single-use plastic (whether in the form of rings or hard-to-recycle shrink film) in the distribution and display of PET bottle multipacks by replacing plastic with sustainable paperboard.

 

Q: How did the collaboration with Coca-Cola Beverages come about and why did they choose this product?

 

Mark Shaw: Coca-Cola is a sustainable and innovation-driven bottling company that just broke ground last year on a plant that, once completed, will be able to generate its own electricity, heat, cooling and recycle CO2.

 

Of course, eliminating plastic packaging rings is also on the agenda for Coca-Cola. As a sustainable and innovation-driven company, WestRock is pleased to be working with Coca-Cola to provide high-quality products to Coca-Cola customers while promoting a more circular economy.

 

 

Q: Can you tell us more about the PETCollar Shield Plus solution? What is it? How does it work? How is it produced?

 

Mark Shaw: PETCollar Shield Plus is a strong, safe and 100% glue-free multipack solution for PET bottles. The advantage is flexibility, with both small bottles (330 ml to 500 ml) and large bottles (up to 1.5 liters) available in a variety of formats – from 1x2 to 2x4; this means consistent brand value on the shelf.

 

The production automation is tried and tested by WestRock's pioneering Fortuna machine platform, which is suitable not only for small bottles but also for large PET containers. This is particularly useful in the European market, as we are used to seeing large bottles packaged in a 2x3 format.

 

Q: How does it compare to traditional alternatives like plastic shrink wrap in terms of carbon emissions?

 

Mark Shaw: According to Euromonitor International in 2022, 85% of large PET bottles (over 750 ml) in Europe are produced with shrink film, which equates to around 100,000 tonnes. In the best case, we can save a lot of plastic from going to landfill. In the worst case, switching to paper-based materials can significantly reduce the likelihood that the ongoing plastic pollution epidemic will pose a risk to the environment and wildlife.

 

By choosing PETCollar, brands can actively contribute to reducing plastic pollution while complying with regulatory changes such as PPWR that will properly enforce the reduction of single-use plastics across Europe.

 

Q: From a functional perspective, how does it perform compared to plastic solutions? Are there issues when wet?

 

Mark Shaw: PETCollar is made from Carrierkote, a high-performance unbleached kraft paperboard with high strength to meet the requirements of wet and cold environments. As a result, it performs well in both wet and dry tear tests.

 

Its proprietary coating provides the perfect surface for vibrant, high-quality printing while being more resistant to warping and tearing than shrink film.

 

PET bottles are also considered a difficult product to ship as they are inherently unstable when shipped in multi-packs. PETCollar alleviates this issue, shipping very well and is third-party certified to EUMOS 40509:2020 standards.