SUSTAINABILITY


people and communities during the height of the pandemic, it’s been pleasing to see sustainability return to the forefront of the agenda as we move towards a ‘new normal’. People have seen coronavirus as a chance to challenge the ways things have previously been done and introduce new, long-lasting change to create a greener future. As consumer interest in being more environmentally-friendly continues to increase, there is an opportunity for the drinks industry to harness this energy and increase efforts to ensure that we’re doing all we can to protect the planet. Despite the uncertainty of the past few months, it is absolutely critical that we do not lose sight of our sustainability goals and, moreover, put them at the heart of our path towards recovery from the impacts of coronavirus. In 2017, we introduced our ‘This Is Forward’ strategy, which outlined a series of commitments and actions to put sustainability at the heart of everything we do in a variety of areas, including our drinks, packaging and communities. We’ve ensured that this has remained a priority throughout 2020 and our commitments are constantly under review to make sure we’re being as ambitious as possible; we’ve even brought forward the targets on some of our packaging, emissions and water-usage commitments to ensure we’re being as ambitious as we possibly can.


Our pledge to move all of our plastic bottles to 50% recycled content by the end of 2020 has not wavered, for instance, and we’re working with all stakeholders to support the introduction of a well- designed deposit return scheme across the UK that works for everyone.


Collaboration is key


Throughout the pandemic, the food and drink industry led the way, and demonstrated how quickly and efficiently this industry can pull together to achieve incredible things. Watching how our retail partners, in particular, have responded to the challenges they faced during the pandemic has been inspirational.


CCEP has worked closely with our partners across the industry to support communities in the UK throughout the pandemic. In the UK, as well as donating over 1.5 million drinks to those working on the front line, we collaborated with long-term partner FareShare – the UK’s leading charity food redistributor – to provide the equivalent of nearly two million healthy meals and more than one


Work with our customers


We all have our role to play in ensuring a greener future and while it remains important for suppliers to lead the way, we must also continue to engage with and collaborate with our customers in retail, wholesale and hospitality.


There is a real opportunity for local retailers and operators to play a leading role in the national effort to recover more sustainably, tapping into the public’s increased awareness of sustainability to cement their position as a force for good in their communities.


Independent stores and pubs often sit at the heart of their communities and enjoy unique relationships with their shoppers, meaning


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million drinks to those that needed them most. The company also donated advertising space, including the famous Piccadilly sign, to charity partners Crisis and FareShare to promote their fundraising messages.


It’s clear that collaboration and working together is our most powerful tool, and it’s important that these lessons are not forgotten. The drinks industry has a responsibility to unite and make a collective effort to tackle issues such as plastic waste, carbon emissions and littering.


In August 2020, Coca-Cola launched its ‘Open Like Never Before’ campaign to help operators to reopen and restart their businesses, founded on the belief that we don’t just have to go back to normal following this huge change in everyone’s lives. Instead, it’s our ambition to move forward and make our communities not just different, but better places.


We are committed to working with others to make other positive changes for the long term through a sustainable, green recovery.


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