Commission welcomes Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone commitments to change recycling claims on plastic bottles

Following a dialogue with the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone have committed to change the recycling claims displayed on their plastic bottles. Once all the necessary changes are made, consumers can rely on correct and clear information about the recycling characteristics of the bottles, in line with the requirements of EU consumer protection law. The CPC action was led by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority. The companies have committed to: - Replace claims on bottle labels such as "I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic" with "This bottle is 100% recycled, except for the cap and the label", to ensure clear and factually accurate information on recyclability and composition; - Replace claims on bottle labels such as "Recycle me again" with "Recycle me", so that companies do not give consumers the false impression, when encouraging them to recycle the bottle, that the bottle has already been recycled before purchase and can be recycled again into another bottle; - Make sure the overall impression of the label and marketing is not misleading about the inherent environmental benefits of plastic bottles, for example by combining them with other green claims or symbols; and - Make sure digital marketing campaigns on their websites and social channels reflect the content of these commitments. Coca-Cola and Nestlé, whose dialogues concluded in June 2025 and February 2026, have already implemented some of the commitments within the set deadlines, in particular those concerning recycling claims in digital campaigns. Next steps National consumer protection authorities will monitor the implementation of these commitments and can take enforcement action if companies fail to comply. In addition, the Commission and the CPC Network may work with bottling industry associations to ensure a level playing field where all companies operating in the single market follow the same rules. Background In November 2023, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) issued an alert against bottling companies selling plastic bottles in the EU. The dialogue with The Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé Waters and Danone was coordinated by the European Commission and the CPC Network authorities, led by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority. Following these dialogues, the Commission and national consumer protection authorities assessed the commitments proposed by the companies at EU/EEA level and found that the companies' improved claims comply with the requirements of EU consumer protection law. The CPC Network is a network of national authorities responsible for enforcing EU consumer protection law. Under the coordination of the European Commission, they take coordinated action against widespread and cross-border breaches of consumer protection law in the EU. All companies selling products across the EU should respect EU consumer protection law. In particular, traders' commercial practices must not mislead consumers and should comply with the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, including as regards environmental claims. The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive strengthens consumer protection rules against greenwashing.