5 minute read
Leading by Example
Public Affairs and Communications Director Tom Burke.
Coca-Cola HBC’s sustainability manifesto is much broader than the definition of the word, its Public Affairs and Communications Director Tom Burke tells Emma Deighan. Here he talks about the business’s sustainability vision and how Coca-Cola HBC is paving the way for others to follow suit.
In total, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland has reduced plastic use by almost 5,000 tonnes a year since 2019 and together, with its partner Coca-Cola Ireland, its next ambition is to achieve a World Without Waste by 2030, creating a true circular economy for plastic packaging.
It has invested millions in new technology in recent months to transition its multipacks to innovative cardboard solutions including KeelClip, the latest innovation in paperboard packaging – a minimal material solution made of recyclable paper that reduces the need for shrink wrap plastic. This will eliminate more than 500 tonnes of hard-torecycle shrink wrap plastic annually.
“Sustainability is not just a buzz word or a communications campaign for Coca-Cola HBC,” Tom begins. “It’s a core part of our strategy for growth and we are hugely cognisant of the role we have to play in carbon reduction here and in the wider community.”
Reworking its packaging portfolio to make way for greener solutions is just one part of the firm’s drive to a circular economy, Tom adds.
He describes that circular economy as the business’s ultimate ambition.
“We want to achieve a circular economy where 100% of our plastic is recyclable and to continue to increase our investment in recycled materials. We will produce recycled plastic that can go back into the loop and get recycled again, and we will invest in the recyclate to turn it into new packs.”
All of the bottles and cans sold by Coca-Cola HBC are 100% recyclable and the company has invested extensively in recycled plastic. Today 45% of its total plastic portfolio is made of recycled materials, which has removed 3,450 tonnes of new plastic each year. Plastic used in its bottles has also been reduced by 10% since 2018.
“There is a misconception around plastic and we are trying to work to change that misconception too,” Tom adds. “There is a belief that plastic is the devil, but we believe, and evidence suggests, that plastic, particularly recycled plastic, has the lowest carbon footprint of any packaging; it’s a fraction of the carbon footprint that glass has, for example.
“Single use plastics are the problem, but recyclable plastic is not, and we have a role to help educate our consumers on that.”
Tom also talks about deposit return schemes that will allow consumers to enable its journey to a circular economy by returning cans and bottles via a dropping point or a vending machine-style setup. And it is hoped that CocaCola’s leadership in this will allow the rest in the industry to follow closely behind them.
“We feel the responsibility on us as one of the biggest FMCG companies in the market. We have to lead the charge; doing what is right and challenging others to come with us. We feel that responsibility on our shoulders. It’s the right thing to do,” Tom says.
“But, there is a lot of work to be done and we recognise that we cannot do it alone.
“This includes our Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) – how we collect waste. It’s in our interest to get our bottles and cans back using something like a deposit return scheme, where a bottle or can go on the market and the consumer pays a small deposit. When they return the bottle in a reverse vending machine, they get that deposit back,” he explains.
“We are literally talking about getting every single bottle and can back and that is a logistical challenge and one where we will focus time and energy, but we need help from customers, our stakeholders and government. It will be a multi-faceted approach that also has to be acceptable to retailers, hospitality businesses and consumers.
“There is no point in introducing a high-end, all-singing, all-dancing initiative if consumers do not buy into it. It’s about walking that line, making sure everyone is on board and we have set 2030 as a target to complete that work and achieve our goal of 100% collection.
“There will be significant costs in making that happen, but it will be a good investment.”
Beyond plastic reduction and recyclability, the firm’s sustainability drive spans all areas of Coca-Cola HBC’s business model.
Tom says: “It goes much broader than that. We make sure we are sustainable in all areas of our business and that includes being a significant contributor to society. We are proud of where we are located. We have been in the North for 80 years and we see ourselves as a significant contributor to not just the local economy, but the Lisburn area where we are based.
“We have a long record supporting communities including working with different organisations; from mental health charities to Food Cloud and Simon Community’s Food Banks, as well as working with local youths and empowering them – we believe that is the very essence of a sustainable business, to be active in the local community.”
Testament that the company is taking the lead in sustainability is its recent accolade as the “world’s most sustainable beverage company” in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
This followed a reassessment by S&P of scores and submissions in the beverage sector relating to the 2020 Corporate Sustainability Assessment and marks the fifth time in the last seven years that Coca-Cola HBC has been recognised as the global beverage industry leader and the 10th year in a row that it has been ranked as one of the top three companies.
“That external validation is very important, because it shows that we are not only the leaders in our group, which is in 28 markets, but world leaders. At a local level, we are proud of our contribution to these results and are proud to be at the forefront of what the entire group is doing,” Tom concludes.
