Beverage companies face EU-wide complaint over plastic bottle recycling claims

Consumer groups have lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission against major beverage companies, including Coca-Cola, Danone, and Nestlé, alleging misleading claims of plastic bottle recyclability. Consumer groups argue that claims of bottles being “100% recyclable” or “100% recycled” are false, given actual recycling rates and the presence of non-recyclable components within packaging. The group also emphasizes the lack of a guarantee that plastic water bottles will be recycled and denounces the “greenwashing” effect created by such claims calling attention to the complexities of recycling systems and ongoing challenges. The European Union has recently tightened regulations against greenwashing requiring proof of environmental performance for sustainability claims.

Here in Canada, the Federal government is actively working towards draft labelling requirements for plastics to ensure sustainability claims, such as recyclability, are accurate. We expect the next iteration of these labelling requirements by the end of the year.