“It feels right”: Coca-Cola Sweden swaps brand logo for “Recycle me again” message on fully recycled bottles

17 Feb 2020 --- Coca-Cola Sweden’s newly launched 100 percent recycled PET (rPET) bottles will now arrive on Swedish shelves with labels reading “Panta mig igen,” meaning “Recycle me again,” in place of brand names and logos. The new label design applies to the Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Bonaqua brands on the Swedish market. This comes as a major change in the company’s branding strategy, as these prominent brands surrender label space for brand marketing in exchange for an appeal to consumers to be environmentally responsible with their plastic bottle disposal.

“The ambition of the new disruptive labels with the recycling call to action ‘Panta mig igen’ is to increase the level of recycled bottles further toward our goal of 100 percent [recycled plastic content]. Sweden has a good track record at recycling but we can improve. We believe this clear message will have a positive impact,” Olivia Enquist, Marketing Director Coca-Cola AB, tells PackagingInsights.

The labels on the Coca-Cola brands will feature a white background, thus deviating from each brand’s characteristic bright color palette to clearly communicate the message “Recycle me again. I’m made of 100 percent recycled plastic. Made in Sweden” (“Panta mig igen. Jag är gjord av 100 procent återvunnen plast. Tillverkad i Sverige”). 

With the word choice of “Made in,” the company aims to clarify that not only is the beverage bottled in Jordbro, Sweden, but that the rPET bottle is made there too. The distinctive label design will be on 0.5 L and 1.5 L rPET bottles.

Coca Cola sacrifices its logo and brand design for a call to recycle its bottles in Sweden.The distinctive label design is part of a Coca-Cola Sweden-wide sustainability effort to encourage awareness among consumers about the importance of plastic bottle collection as a crucial part of enabling a circular economy for plastic packaging. In 2020, Coca-Cola in Sweden announced its ambition to be the first market globally where all locally produced PET bottles are made of 100 percent recycled plastic, excluding label and closure.

The right message
Coca-Cola Sweden researched the choice of words on the label and the hierarchy of messages to establish a strong marketing impact. “We wanted to have the best possible effect both in terms of brand perception but also a call to action to ensure the message to recycle comes across in the best possible way,” says Enquist.

The labels will remain in the Swedish market for two to three months and will be supported by a large scale media campaign starting from the tenth week, Enquist notes. “The label redesign is launched to raise the attention of the topic of PET circularity. The disruptive labels will remain in the market during the campaign period, but talking about the societal benefits of recycling is a topic that will be communicated ongoingly, also after the campaign period ends,” she maintains.

“It feels right that Coca-Cola in Sweden uses the reach and strength of its brands to encourage consumers to order the bottle again. Coca-Cola wants to be a positive force in the communities we operate in and where we are relevant,” adds Barbara Tönz, CEO of Coca-Cola AB.

Recyclability is key
During the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, last month, Coca-Cola’s Head of Sustainability Bea Perez stated the soft drink giant would not stop using plastic bottles completely, due to steady consumer preference. Despite environmental campaigns highlighting loopholes in the company’s recyclability efforts, Coca-Cola still advocates for recycling measures as a key means of tackling the plastic waste problem.

Returpak provides a bottle return system for Swedish residents, mainly found at shopping centers. To conceptualize, Coca-Cola’stransition to 100 percent recycled plastics in Sweden affects 205 million bottles per year. In order to achieve this goal, Coca-Cola Sweden collaborates with Returpak, a privately-owned company responsible for the Swedish deposit systems for metal cans and recyclable PET bottles for ready-to-drink beverages. 

“The simplicity of recycling is totally dependent on the availability of recycling machines. With Returpak, Sweden has a deposit and return system model, which is forming a key part of our supply. To ensure the supply of materials, it is important to continue encouraging consumers to use the packaging deposit scheme. We continue to work on increasing collections so that all our packaging can be recycled and reused,” says Enquist.

Coca-Cola has previously been called one of the world’s “top polluting companies,” in a report by Break Free From Plastic. Enquist further stresses that the company takes its responsibility as a major industry player to promote a circular economy within the beverage industry seriously. “Coca-Cola in Sweden is clear about its responsibility to see that none of its packaging ends up as waste or in nature. We need the support of consumers to achieve this,” she concludes.

By Anni Schleicher