Coca-Cola HBC Austria rolls out recyclable corrugated handles 

AUSTRIA – Coca-Cola HBC Austria has introduced a new recyclable corrugated handle for soft drink multipacks, developed in partnership with DS Smith and Krones. 

The solution replaces plastic shrink wrap, eliminating about 200 tonnes of plastic each year across production.

The DS Smith Lift Up design features a corrugated clip with an integrated carrier handle and a paper band, made from kraft paper and cardboard. 

It starts with multipacks of 1.5L PET bottles but now covers duo-packs up to eight-packs for various small and large PET sizes. 

All formats run on the same high-speed Krones Variopac lines. A soft grip enhances carrying ease for consumers, while the minimal material use ensures full recyclability at end-of-life.

According to a third-party validated life cycle assessment, the Lift Up pack cuts CO2 emissions by 42% compared to standard shrink film. 

Production with Krones also lowers overall energy use by 58%. The innovation enters this year’s Sustainability Awards.

DS Smith’s design and innovation director, Patricia Oddshammar, explained that the handle helps meet the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation’s 2030 targets, particularly by avoiding challenges in sourcing 35% recycled content for plastic films.

 “This approach uses the least amount of material possible and reduces environmental impact,” she said.

Stefano Rossi, CEO of DS Smith’s Packaging Solutions Division, highlighted the collaboration’s role in waste reduction. 

He stated that the concept, built on DS Smith’s Circular Design Metrics, minimizes material while maintaining appeal on store shelves. 

Rossi added that working with Coca-Cola HBC and Krones enables large-scale changes to limit single-use plastics.

Marcel Martin, Coca-Cola HBC’s chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer, called it the first such solution for 1.5L multipacks of Coca-Cola, Fanta, and Sprite brands. 

He noted that the effort stems from close ties with partners and a push toward net zero emissions by 2040. 

In 2022, the company earned top ranking as the world’s most sustainable beverage firm from the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the sixth time. 

It also secured the highest scores in the 2023 S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook among over 7,000 companies across 61 industries, and continued with leading MSCI ESG Ratings for the ninth year.

This launch builds on prior efforts. In Germany, Coca-Cola trials multipacks using glue dots and recyclable cardboard handles on six-packs of 1.25L bottles for Original and Zero varieties, aiming to boost recyclability. 

Earlier, Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages teamed with WestRock, now Smurfit WestRock, to switch 12-ounce and 16.9-ounce multipacks to paperboard carriers, removing 200,000 pounds of plastic rings.

In early 2025, Coca-Cola began using CuRe Technology’s recycled PET in Europe for bottles, cutting carbon footprints versus virgin plastic. 

It also launched 100% rPET bottles in Indonesia for brands like Fanta and Sprite, excluding labels and caps.

Globally, Coca-Cola stays on track for 100% recyclable packaging by year-end, though it shifted some recycled content targets to 2035 amid supply hurdles, planning 30% to 35% recycled plastic in primary packaging.

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