
Resource consumption and circularity in the beverage industry are closely tied to packaging materials. Packaging is essential for product protection during transport and storage, but it also contributes nearly half of our total carbon emissions.

We work closely with our suppliers and experts to understand the full environmental footprint of our packaging—both upstream and downstream. We focus on:
As part of this, we are redesigning packaging formats to use fewer resources while maintaining product protection. We also invest in new filling lines to enable a shift from fossil-based plastics to fiber-based packaging.

We are addressing transitional risks related to packaging materials, including new EU regulations and challenges in accessing high-quality post-consumer recycled material.
We focus on light-weighting and increasing recycled content across packaging categories. We work to increase the recycled content in PET bottles and cans.

We support collection and deposit-return systems intended to increase the proportion of eligible packaging that is returned for reuse or recycling and to reduce litter risk.
In our main markets, Deposit Return Systems (DRS) is one of the ways we engage with consumers to close the loop. We collaborate with our peers, customers, and consumers to enhance recycling and collection systems, both in markets with established deposit return systems and those under development.

Our sector relies on reuse, such as kegs and glass bottles, and recyclable packaging systems, supported by strong DRS in many markets, where return rates are approximately 90%. This prepares us well for EU’s packaging waste legislation and extended producer responsibility, but we continue to make efforts to improve.
We are continuously investing in new technologies and filling lines that substitute plastics with renewable paper and cardboard. In addition, we test reuse and recycling concepts for cups and plastic kegs at our customers and venues, leveraging existing deposit return systems that already have the logistics setup.

Food safety requirements for primary packaging are stringent to protect products, avoid food waste, and ensure consumer health. Our approach to circularity prioritizes the protective function of packaging materials.
We use materials that can be easily separated, sorted, recycled, or reused, and we continuously review our assortment to reduce complexity.