Coca-Cola overhauls entire portfolio with introduction of attached caps

Coca–Cola Great Britain (CCGB) in partnership with Coca–Cola Europacific Partners, is introducing new, attached caps to its plastic bottles, making it easier to recycle the entire package and ensure no cap gets left behind. 

Production of bottles with attached caps has already started at CCEP’s site in East Kilbride, Scotland, meaning that consumers in Scotland and the North of England will start to see new caps attached to 1.5l bottles of Fanta, Coca–Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke.

The switch is set to be completed for all plastic bottles across Coca–Cola GB’s range of brands by early 2024.

All of Coca–Cola’s bottles, including the caps, have been 100% recyclable for many years but not all are being recycled. Bottle caps are often discarded and littered. The new design means that the cap stays connected to the bottle after opening, so the whole plastic bottle and attached cap can be recycled together.  

Coca–Cola has announced major initiatives both globally and locally to help create a “circular economy” for plastic, which are key to Coca–Cola’s ambition to create a World Without Waste. Last year CCEP announced that it had reached its target of using 100% recycled plastic – excluding caps and labels – in all its 500ml or smaller bottles sold in Great Britain ahead of schedule, helping to save around 29,000 tonnes of plastic per year. 

The move also follows CCEP’s transition to Shrink to Board packs at the business’ Sidcup manufacturing site last year, alongside light-weighting of its aluminium cans, which are now 22% lighter than just two years ago.

CCEP is starting the changeover to attached caps initially from its bottling plant in East Kilbride, Scotland followed later this year by its site in Edmonton, North London and the rest of its sites in GB over the next 18 months.

Stephen Moorhouse, general manager at Coca–Cola Europacific Partners, Great Britain said: “This is a small change that we hope will have a big impact, ensuring that when consumers recycle our bottles, no cap gets left behind.”

Seamus Kerrigan, operations director at Coca–Cola Europacific Partners in East Kilbride, said: “The milestone follows significant investment in our production lines to prepare for this – and other manufacturing innovations – to produce some of the most loved, well-known global brands in the most sustainable way possible, from right here in East Kilbride.”

Related content