Coca-Cola Europacific Partners invests US$42M to expand German refillable bottling infrastructure

GERMANY – Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) in Germany has invested over €40 million (US$42.53m) into returnable bottles to bolster its capabilities.

The investment will fund a new filling line in Lüneburg, Northern Germany, along with a new packaging machine for glass bottles in Mönchengladbach, West Germany, boosting CCEP’s plans to expand the availability of drinks sold in returnable glass bottles.

With the use of glass bottles expected to grow across Germany over the coming years, this investment is said to help drive progress on environmental sustainability ambitions while meeting market demand.

CCEP in Germany has already introduced a new 1-liter glass bottle for Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in 2019.

The new filling line in Lüneburg is expected to help decrease carbon emissions from the packaging by shortening the distance traveled from the production line to end consumers in the North of Germany.

The CCEP investment follows another €130 million (US$138.22m) investment in the company’s reusable packaging over the last three years, in new filling systems and components and reusable containers.

The investment is set to generate jobs in the region, with the Lüneburg plant scheduled to go into operation by the summer of 2024.

By investing in refillable solutions, the organization aims to eliminate packaging waste and lower its carbon footprint.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners aspires to reach net zero by 2040 and reduce emissions across its value chain by 30% by 2030 as part of its This is Forward sustainability action plan.

Coca-Cola Co. and bottlers escape EU regulatory probe

Elsewhere, the Coca-Cola Co. and two of its bottlers have survived a regulatory probe for potential anti-competitive practices after the EU dropped the investigations.

The EU antitrust regulators said there were insufficient grounds for the case against The Coca-Cola Co., Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Coca-Cola Hellenic.

The European Commission had started a preliminary antitrust investigation over concerns the three firms may have abused their market dominance to grant conditional rebates to retailers in some EU countries.

The rebates, it said, may have been offered as a way to block the entry of new drinks into the markets.

The Commission subsequently sent questionnaires to The Coca-Cola Co. and its bottlers, as well as to retailers and rival firms.

“Based on the evidence collected, the Commission has concluded that there is insufficient ground to further pursue the investigation,” it said in a statement.

It added that the closure of the investigation did not mean that the conduct in question complies with EU competition rules.

“The Commission will continue to monitor business practices in Europe’s fast-moving consumer goods markets, including in the food and beverages sectors, to ensure affordability, choice and innovation in the sector,” the statement concluded.

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