Sustainability

EU Commission welcomes commitments of Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Danone to modify recycling claims on plastic bottles

2026-10-26 2:21 min Sustainability & Circular Economy, Europe

EU CommissionBrussels, Belgium

Following a dialogue with the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Danone have committed to change recycling claims advertised on their plastic bottles. As soon as they have all made the necessary changes, consumers can rely on fair and clear information about the recycling characteristics of the bottles, in line with the requirements of EU consumer law.

The CPC action was carried out under the lead of the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority.

The companies have committed to:

Replace claims on bottles' labels such as “I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic” with “This bottle is 100% recycled. Excluding cap and label” to ensure factually clear and correct information regarding recyclability and composition;

Replace claims on bottles' labels such as “Recycle me again” with “Recycle me”, so companies do not give consumers the false impression, when encouraging them to recycle the bottle, that the bottle was already recycled before purchase and can be recycled into another bottle again;

Ensure that the overall impression of the label and the marketing is not misleading regarding the inherent environmental benefits of plastic bottles, for instance by combining them with other green claims or symbols; and Ensure that digital marketing campaigns on their respective websites and social media channels reflect the content of these commitments.

Coca-Cola and Nestlé, whose dialogues were concluded in June 2025 and February 2026, have already implemented some of the commitments within the established deadlines, notably those relating to recycling claims advertised in digital campaigns.

Next steps

National consumer protection authorities will monitor the implementation of these commitments and may proceed with enforcement measures if companies fail to comply with them. Moreover, the Commission and the CPC network may engage with bottling industry associations, to ensure a level playing field where all companies operating in the Single Market abide by the same rules.

Background

In November 2023, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) issued an alert against bottling companies selling plastic bottles in the EU. The dialogue with the Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé Waters, and Danone was coordinated by the European Commission and the authorities of the CPC network, under the lead of the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority.

Following these dialogues, the European Commission and national consumer authorities assessed the commitments proposed by the companies at EU/EEA level and found the companies' improved claims to be in line with the requirements of EU consumer law.

The CPC is a network of national authorities responsible for the enforcement of EU consumer protection laws. Under the coordination of the European Commission, they take coordinated actions to tackle widespread and cross-border infringements of consumer law occurring in the EU.

All companies selling products across the EU should respect EU consumer legislation. In particular, traders' commercial practices must not mislead consumers and should comply with the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, including with regards to environmental claims.

The Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition strengthens consumer protection rules against greenwashing.

’'We must ensure that traders operating in the EU are transparent and fair in their labelling practices. These commitments by Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Danone show that the dialogue between companies and the national consumer protection authorities leads to results that benefit consumers, providing them information to make informed choices.'' - Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

’'European consumers deserve accurate information about the environmental practices of all companies operating in the Single Market. I welcome the commitment by the three companies to fulfil their responsibilities to ensure that environmental claims on their products are clear, truthful and in line with EU consumer protection laws. This outcome also demonstrates the value of engagement and dialogue between companies and the European Commission.'' - Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.

www.ec.europa.eu

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