Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone have committed to change the recycling claims on their single-use plastic bottles sold in the European Union, following dialogue with the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) network. The announcement was made on Thursday 22 October 2026.
The goal is fair, clear information that complies with EU consumer law. The development was confirmed by Agence Europe on 23 October, ESG Today on 22 October and AFP on 22 October.
What will change on the labels
The first change concerns claims such as “I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic”. That wording will become “This bottle is 100% recycled. Excluding cap and label”.
The reason is straightforward: caps and most labels are not made of recycled material, and virgin plastic is often added. The new wording makes that exclusion clear to the shopper.
The second change concerns the words “Recycle me again”. That phrase will become “Recycle me”. The old wording could give the false impression that the bottle was already recycled before purchase and can be recycled into another bottle again. Nestlé’s “Let’s meet again!” is also to change similarly.
Third, the overall impression of the label and marketing must not mislead about environmental benefits, for example by combining the claim with other green claims or symbols. Fourth, digital marketing campaigns on company websites and social media must reflect the commitments.
Why the claims were challenged
The CPC action was led by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority. It followed a greenwashing complaint and alert filed in November 2023 by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) with member organisations from 13 countries, supported by ClientEarth and Environmental Coalition on Standards.
The complaint challenged misleading recyclability messaging on bottled-water packaging. According to the BEUC complaint, claims such as “100% recyclable” depended on collection infrastructure, sorting effectiveness and appropriate recycling processes actually being available. Green imagery combined with such claims could also mislead consumers.
BEUC Director General Agustín Reyna said: “It is great news that the three companies flagged by consumer organisations, Danone, Nestlé and Coca-Cola, have now committed to changing their practices to stop misleading consumers about the recyclability of their products. Consumers need to be able to trust companies’ environmental claims.”
Danone, timelines and monitoring
Danone was the final company of the three to agree, this month, in October 2026. Its Volvic brand commitments include showing the cap and label exclusion with equal prominence and the same font size as the main claim.
Packaging labelled “recycled plastic” will not include virgin PET scraps or factory offcuts that have not undergone an authorised recycling process under EU regulations.
The dialogue with Coca-Cola concluded in June 2025, and the dialogue with Nestlé concluded in February 2026, according to Commission reporting. Coca-Cola and Nestlé have already implemented some commitments, notably in digital campaigns. National authorities will monitor implementation and may act on breaches.
Key facts
- Coca-Cola, Nestlé and Danone will change recycling claims on single-use plastic bottles sold in the EU.
- “I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic” becomes “This bottle is 100% recycled. Excluding cap and label”.
- “Recycle me again” becomes “Recycle me”; Nestlé’s “Let’s meet again!” changes similarly.
- Danone agreed in October 2026, after Coca-Cola in June 2025 and Nestlé in February 2026.
- The action followed a November 2023 BEUC complaint from organisations in 13 countries.
- National authorities will monitor implementation and may act on breaches.
What this means for zero waste
Honest labelling helps consumers sort correctly and supports real recycling rather than greenwashing. Accurate claims are a precondition for a circular economy, in which materials are kept in use instead of becoming waste.
The wider context shows the scale of the challenge. Plastics Europe figures, via reporting, put global virgin plastic production at 430.9 million tonnes in 2024, up 4% on 2023, with Asia accounting for 57.2% and China alone for 34.5%.
Clearer bottle labels will not by themselves solve plastic waste, but they remove one source of confusion at the point where a consumer decides what to buy and how to dispose of it. For readers interested in how companies are cutting waste to landfill: Ford’s zero-waste-to-landfill goal.
Conclusion
The three companies have now committed to clearer, fairer bottle claims across the EU. The test will be implementation: whether the new wording appears consistently, with equal prominence where required, and whether national authorities follow through where commitments are not kept.
