Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone agree to revise recycling claims on plastic bottle labels

Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone have agreed to amend recycling claims displayed on their plastic bottles following discussions with the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network.

The commitments follow concerns about the clarity of environmental information provided to consumers, particularly regarding recycled plastic content and the recyclability of beverage packaging.

The discussions were coordinated by the European Commission and national consumer protection authorities, led by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority.

Under the agreements, the three companies will revise wording used on plastic bottle labels to provide more precise information about their composition and recycling characteristics.

For example, statements such as “I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic” will be replaced with wording that clarifies the claim applies to the bottle itself and excludes components such as caps and labels.

The companies have also committed to replacing phrases such as “Recycle me again” with “Recycle me”. The change is intended to avoid suggesting that a bottle has necessarily been recycled previously or that it can automatically be recycled into another bottle.

In addition to updating individual statements, Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone will review the overall presentation of their packaging labels and associated marketing materials. This includes ensuring that environmental symbols, imagery and accompanying claims do not create a misleading impression about the environmental benefits of plastic bottles.

The commitments also extend to digital marketing, with the companies agreeing to ensure that information published on their websites and social media channels is consistent with the revised packaging claims.

Discussions with Coca-Cola concluded in June 2025, followed by Nestlé in February 2026. Both companies have already implemented some of the agreed changes, including updates to recycling claims used in digital campaigns.

The action follows an alert issued in November 2023 by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), which raised concerns about environmental claims made by companies selling plastic bottles in the European Union.

Following an assessment of the proposed commitments, the European Commission and national consumer authorities concluded that the revised claims would meet the requirements of EU consumer protection legislation.

National authorities will monitor implementation and may take enforcement action if the companies fail to meet their commitments.

The European Commission and CPC network may also engage with bottling industry associations to encourage consistent application of consumer protection requirements across the EU Single Market.

The action forms part of wider EU efforts to address potentially misleading environmental claims under the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Consumer protection rules relating to greenwashing are also being strengthened through the Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition.