World Without Waste

Corporate sustainability and social responsibility are indispensable elements of the corporate culture of Coca-Cola HBC. As a responsible economic operator, we consider it important to manage the environmental risks arising from our operations and to make a positive contribution to the protection of our environment and natural resources in many different areas.

We are committed to minimizing the environmental impact of our own operations. Improving energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, responsible water management, and the collection and reuse of packaging waste all contribute to a more sustainable environment. In addition, we ensure that the development of responsible, sustainable operating processes goes hand in hand with raising the awareness of our employees and consumers, as we believe that wide-ranging cooperation is the foundation of our success. Our sustainability strategy and objectives are inextricably linked to our business goals, and sustainable operations are the driving force behind our growth.

 A core pillar in our sustainability strategy is the enhanced commitment toward “World Without Waste”, although our initiatives are not ended there. We are continuously working on to conduct sustainable circulation of our products’ whole lifecycle. That includes the procurement process of raw materials, design of products and packaging, production processes and also social engagement for common goals.

Towards World Without Waste

Plastic waste is a global problem, and we can only solve it if we all work together, from large companies to consumers. We, at Coca-Cola HBC Hungary, are committed to be not only actors, but also drivers of change. Our sustainability approach and goals related to packaging waste were included in a unified framework in our ‘World Without Waste’ strategy announced at the beginning of 2018. As part of this, we are working on creating a sustainable cycle spanning the entire life cycle of our products, which includes the procurement of raw materials, the design and recycling of products and packaging, production processes, and social cooperation for a common goal. The essence of the World Without Waste strategy is the elimination of packaging waste and the creation of a sustainable, circular economy in which all waste becomes raw material, again and again.

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World Without Waste: Our Commitment
  • By 2030, all primary packaging must be 100% recyclable - the beverage packaging used by Coca-Cola HBC Hungary is 100% recyclable.
  • An increasing proportion of recycled raw materials must be used for the production of our bottles and aluminium cans - the target is 35% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
  • We will consent to the collection of 75% of the waste quantity of beverage bottles by 2025 and 100% by 2030.
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PACKAGING DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

We consider packaging waste to be a strategically important environmental issue. Proper packaging is essential for the freshness and food safety of our products. We are constantly improving our packaging materials, both PET bottles and aluminium cans, with the following main pillars: weight reduction, use of recycled materials, innovative packaging solutions. 

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100% recyclable KeelClip™ cardboard packaging replaces shrink foil on Coca-Cola aluminium can multipacks

KeelClip™ technology uses a sturdy cardboard roof instead of shrink foil to hold together aluminum cans sold in packs 4 and 6. The cover is made of recyclable cardboard, which consumers can use practically and easily.  With an investment of more than HUF 800 million, the company reduces its plastic consumption in Hungary by almost 230 tons per year. The 100 percent recyclable cardboard material used for KeelClip™ packaging comes from sustainable, responsible forestry and is FSC certified, which guarantees that the marketed products meet the conditions of environmentally and socially responsible production.

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TETHERED CAPS

As part of our World Without Waste strategy, we provide our soft drinks with a bottle cap that is inseparable from the packaging. Significantly ahead of the June 2024 deadline set by EU industry regulation and the first of its kind in Hungary, we introduced the new caps for carbonated soft drinks, making it easier to collect and recycle bottles and caps together, while also providing a more pleasant, hygienic experience for consumers.

Thanks to the innovative design of the new caps, consumers can use the bottles as usual, but with a fixed cap. As the packaging remains intact, lost or discarded caps do not harm the environment. The new packaging is also more hygienic for consumers, as they do not have to hold the cap in their hand when drinking and can avoid the cap becoming contaminated if dropped on the floor.

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

We are committed to the sustainable disposal of waste generated in our processes and after consumption of our products. Our waste management processes are ensured by our ISO14001:2015 environmental management system. Our goal is to reduce and manage the waste generated during production continuously, as well as to minimize the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.

The monitoring of the generated waste is supported by continuous data collection and is supervised by our waste management system specialist. In the spirit of awareness, we try to resell as much waste as possible according to its function (for example, barrels, cans, IBC containers), thus extending their useful life in new target areas. We set annual goals for the amount and recycling of waste, which our sustainability group continuously monitors.

FOOD WASTE

As an environmentally conscious company, we believe it is important to take action for a sustainable future in all areas of our business. This includes food waste, which Coca-Cola HBC Hungary strives to minimise in a variety of ways. Our commitments not only aim to reduce the amount of food wasted, but also include education on the importance of this issue.

Our company is a member of the ’Every Crumb Counts’ initiative of the European food and drink industry, which aims to prevent food from being thrown away and to promote a life-cycle approach to reduce food waste. This pledge also aims to proactively engage participants in national, European, and global solutions and initiatives in this area. As a member, we are committed to raising awareness of the need to reduce food waste in our processes and throughout the value chain as effectively as possible, and working with all relevant groups to contribute to the development and promotion of best practices.

Our company collects information on the disposal processes, which helps us to take effective action against food waste. Coca- Cola HBC Hungary donates the products that are close to their expiry date to the Hungarian Food Bank, our partner, to help ensure that our products are consumed within their shelf life while supporting our communities.

 

Élelmiszerbank rendezvény. Magyarország, Budapest. 2023.10.16. Fotó.: Trenka Attila Élelmiszerbank rendezvény. Magyarország, Budapest. 2023.10.16. Fotó.: Trenka Attila

In the summer of 2019, Coca-Cola Hungary joined efforts with water management authorities and an NGO and committed to clean up Hungary's second largest river, the Tisza. Since the start of th Zero Waste Tisza River prorgam more than 200 employees of the company have taken part in eight actions with the Plastic Cup volunteers, where they have cleaned the river from a total of 10 tonnes of waste. Coca-Cola's global philanthropic arm, The Coca-Cola Foundation has donated a total of USD 400,000 (HUF 120 million) to the Természetfilm.hu Association, operating Plastic Cup since 2019.

The Zero Waste Tisza River program gave much more than just short-term waste collection to the river and program participants: they started GPS-based tracking for waste mapping, built the first Kisköre River Saver Center and, using plastic as a useful secondary raw material, crafted prototypes of a unique Plastic Kayak. In the framework of the program, Platic Cup experts and external specialists developed a mobile water purifying container will provide relevant support to improve waste collection and treatment in Subcarpathia, providing clean water and waste pollution prevention.

The participants of the Zero Waste Tisza River program will continue to work to ensure that riverine waste is recovered, sorted and recycled in innovative ways, both at source and at the point of control, while helping develop the necessary elements of modern waste management in the areas left behind.  


BACKGROUND OF THE COLLABORATION

A significant amount of driftwood, organic material and communal waste go down in the river Tisza with the floods every year. In 2019, after the spring floods, a record amount of waste consisting of driftwood and household garbage – mainly plastic – has hit the Kisköre dam again. The size of the drift-field reached 17,000 square metres and was more than 3 metres high right at the dam. A collaboration was needed to effectively solve this problem. Water management authorities, civilian and industry players – the General Directorate of Water Management, Plastic Cup and CocaCola Hungary announced in the summer of 2019 that they were prepared to manage the challenge collectively. The Plastic Cup has held waste collecting activities on the Upper Tisza for years, which the CocaCola joined so that they could help manage the situation with its employees volunteer work and a financial support of 250,000 USD (approx. 73 million HUF) provided by the global foundation of the company. The Zero Waste Tisza River program was launched in the summer of 2019, aimed at providing constant protection, waste collection and recycling – by cleaning up the river in an increasing proportion.


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Employees of Coca-Cola Hungary actively contributed to the implementation and the success of the project.

Nearly 70 enthusiastic employees participated in the cleaning of the Kisköre section of the river on the 26th of July 2019. On this day, volunteers of the company and Plastic Cup collected the waste – mostly plastic – stuck in the reeds and floating on the surface of the water into bags. The bags full of waste were collected by the PETényi “waste-eater boat” the peculiarity of which being that it hovers on many plastic bottles formerly removed from Tisza. Their hard work was reflected by the numbers at the end of the day as nearly 1,5 tonnes of waste were gauged. The 1,5 tonnes of waste were sorted out and recycled properly after that.

 

During the second activity on the 27th of September, nearly 100 Coca-Cola employees travelled to the port of Tiszanána, Dinnyéshát, to join the cause of the World Cleanup Day on the 21st of September. The participants collected waste from the water surface, reeds, and floodplains on canoe, and they also sorted the waste to recycle the suitable pieces. The results of this second action exceeded the first: they cleaned Tisza of 170 bags and more than 1,8 tonnes of waste - including municipal waste, glass, metal, and plastic garbage. Most of these were sorted in place depending on their type.

The third volunteer day took place between the 28th of February and the 1st of March 2020, in Tiszaszalka. During the weekend, one of the most polluted floodplain forests of Tisza, Natura 2000 was cleaned of the waste accumulated there, with the help of Plastic Cup and CocaCola Hungary volunteers. Just like in 2019, CocaCola Hungary provided accommodation and catering for all volunteers participating in the project through The CocaCola Foundation in 2020 as well. The professional handling, delivery and recycling of garbage is ensured by the Association of Environmental Service Providers and Manufacturers, the National Coordination of Waste Management and Asset Management Plc and the North-Alföld Environment Management Ltd. Based on the previous experiences and the high number of participants, approximately 3 tonnes of waste was collected over the three days.

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With this joint effort, the target set in 2019 – to collect 80 tonnes of waste – was achieved. Thanks to the succes of the program, the Tisza clean-up and awarness-raising program could continue from September 2021, with an additional $150,000 grant. In this next phase, the goal is to execute programs that can reach significant behaviour change at the source of the river Tisza, to get closer to the sources of the problem and to find a long-term solution.

The official closure of the first two-year phase and the announcement about its continuation was topped with a volunteering day on the 27th of August 2021 in Kisköre. More than 50 Coca-Cola volunteers collected nearly 650 kg of waste, which was later sorted with the help of Plastic Cup volunteers.

Since the extension of the program, two more corporate volunteer days have taken place on July 15 and September 16, 2022, hosted by Dinnyéshát and Tiszaderzs. More than 90 Coca-Cola volunteers contributed to the success of the Zero Waste Tisza River program by collecting a total of nearly 2.5 tons of waste.

The first Zero Waste Tisza River volunteer day of 2023 took place on 21 July, which was implemented using a different waste collection method than the previous ones. 25 Coca-Cola employees cleared the river on a 11 kilometre stretch of river between Tiszafüred and Tiszabábolna, collecting 69 bags (534 kilograms) of waste. 

On 15 September, at the eighth volunteer action of the Zero Waste Tisza River program, nearly 30 Coca-Cola volunteers joined Plastic Cup to support the cleaning up of Tisza on the occasion of World Clean Up Day. Our colleagues collected 300 kilograms of waste in a total of 60 bags on land and water. A special feature of the September volunteer day is that the experts of Plastic Cup also presented the latest development made within the framework of the Zero Waste Tisza River program, implemented thanks to the support of The Coca-Cola Foundation, a part of the plastic kayak fleet made from plastic waste collected on the Tisza.


Safe Water Access Point

One of latest result of the Zero Waste Tisza River program is the Safe Water Access Point (SWAP), which combines technological innovation with community features. The core of the SWAP is a water purification device, which was unveiled September 2022 at Lake Tisza, where project participants had the opportunity to taste the pure drinking water of the Tisza.

In order to protect the cleanliness of rivers, the new container will also serve as a collection point for plastic and recyclable waste, which is important in areas where separate waste collection and waste shipment are not available. In Ukraine, at the source of the Tisza River, a lot of plastic waste is discharged into the river due to the lack of public services - the container addresses this challenge and also play an awareness-raising role about the importance of clean rivers.



Coca-Cola Hungary for the circular economy

One of the driving forces of Coca-Cola Hungary's activities is to be at the forefront of replacing take-make-dispose practices in the linear economy. We strive to help build a closed-loop economic model that is built on resource efficiency and innovation, resulting in a smaller environmental footprint.

We want to build a future in which the unnecessary or wasteful use of the raw materials we use is avoided and materials retain their value within the cycle for a long time. In the case of packaging, we want to apply these principles at the stages of design, development, use of raw materials and production. If the cycle is closed, the collection and recycling of packaging is not only a theoretical possibility but a reality, and packaging materials will not endanger the environment or terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

We strive for conscious and responsible use of resources in our manufacturing processes. Our goal is to design our water, waste and energy management in a way that they help reduce our environmental footprint. In the interests of responsible resource management, we are also constantly striving to improve our carbon footprint.

We cannot realize our circular vision alone. The circular economy is built on collaboration, where we work with consumers, decision-makers, industry and professional organisations for a common goal. The creation of a circular economy requires such multi-player cooperation, which we at Coca-Cola Hungary are also trying to encourage. In this way, we strive for active dialogue and cooperation with both suppliers and regulatory bodies and consumers, so that the collection of waste from beverage packaging can take place as much as possible in Hungary.

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