Coca-Cola launches label-free PET bottles in South Korea amid new national recyclability rules

02 Nov 2021 --- Coca-Cola is launching its first-ever labelless PET bottles in South Korea called Coca-Cola Contour Label Free. The move aligns with the national government’s mandate to enhance plastic bottle recyclability by eradicating labels on plastic bottles.

“But we wanted to do more than simply get rid of the labels, so we differentiated our product by marrying convenience and environmental sustainability to the brand’s personality. In this case, that’s the iconic contour shape and the Coca-Cola logo,” Jung-Hyun Kwon, Japan & Korea OU Coca-Cola category lead, tells PackagingInsights. 

According to Innova Market Insights, 66% of global consumers agree industry, government and waste management companies need to cooperate to improve packaging recyclability.

Coca-Cola has previously tested labelless options via its sparkling water brand Seagram’s, bottled water brands PyeongchangSoo and Vio Soonsoo and isotonic beverage brand Toreta! in South Korea.

“[South] Korean consumers have a high interest and need for label-free products. This [interest] was proven by Seagram’s, which recorded high sales growth thanks to its label-free product,” highlights Kwon.

Collecting consumer feedback
Coca-Cola aims to gather feedback on how the contour shape and differentiated brand voice will be received by consumers. 

The Coca-Cola logo is engraved where the labels are usually located to strengthen the product’s brand identity.Kwon adds the company is also looking to find out whether it alters consumers’ preference toward label-free products and “strengthens their love for the [Coca-Cola] brand.” 

“[Coca-Cola hopes to learn] how this [launch] can lead to expanding the market for label-free products to ‘individual bottle’ sales in the future, which is currently only allowed for box sales,” she points out.

Rekindling a major brand
As Kwon alludes to, Coca-Cola Contour Label Free is sold exclusively through online channels in 24-packs in 370 mL PET bottle formats. Product-related information is listed on the secondary wrapping. 

The products are available in both Coca-Cola Original and Coca-Cola Zero, differentiated by the bottle caps’ colors.

“Many local manufacturers are thinking of ways to maintain the product’s brand identity even after eliminating the label, which is a big challenge. However, Coca-Cola Contour Label Free is a version 2.0 of label-free products, as it emphasizes the brand’s identity even without the label,” explains Kwon. 

The iconic contour shape helps consumers easily recognize the brand despite it not having a label – “the same reason why the original Coca-Cola Contour bottle was invented in the early 20th century,” she adds.

Innova Market Insights reveals 57% of global consumers agree a familiar brand that has changed its package design captures their attention.

Measuring plastic savings
As the new bottles have only recently been launched online, it is “very hard” to calculate the exact amount of plastic reduced by eliminating the labels.

“However, what’s immediately visible is the product’s recyclability has improved as PET bottles can be best recycled when collected without the labels. [The new designs] also do not require consumers to take any additional action to make it more recyclable,” says Kwon.

Creating and recapturing high-quality recyclable PET bottles is high on Coca-Cola’s agenda, having recently been named the number one global polluter for the fourth consecutive year. 

Along with other major FMCGs Unilever, Nestlé and Colgate-Palmolive, Coca-Cola was also recently accused of “dirty and misleading” waste incineration practices in a Reuters investigation.

By Anni Schleicher