Coca-Cola, Nestle to change EU recycling claims

Coca-Cola, Nestle and Danone have agreed to change some recycling claims on plastic bottles after pressure from European Union authorities, the European Commission said on Thursday.

European consumer groups accused the three companies in November 2023 of using deceptive greenwashing claims on bottled water products.

The commission said the companies would replace wording such as “I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic” with “This bottle is 100% recycled. Excluding cap and label”, to make clear that caps and labels are not made from recycled material.

The companies also agreed to use “Recycle me” on bottle labels instead of “Recycle me again”, after EU authorities said the previous wording could give consumers the false impression that a bottle had already been recycled.

The commission said the firms must also make sure their online communications reflect the commitments made to the EU. It said Coca-Cola and Nestle had already implemented some commitments, especially on recycling claims in digital campaigns.