Following a dialogue with the Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation network, led by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Hungarian Competition Authority, the three companies committed to replace label claims such as “I am a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic” with “This bottle is 100% recycled. Excluding cap and label”, and to change “Recycle me again” to “Recycle me”, so shoppers are not given the false impression that a bottle was already recycled before purchase and can be recycled into another bottle again. They also committed to ensure that the overall impression of their labels and marketing is not misleading about the environmental benefits of plastic bottles, and that their digital marketing reflects the same commitments.
The action began with an alert by the European Consumer Organisation, BEUC, in November 2023 against bottling companies selling plastic bottles in the EU. National consumer protection authorities will monitor implementation and may take enforcement measures if the companies fail to comply, and the Commission said it and the CPC network may engage bottling industry associations so that all companies in the single market follow the same rules. Commissioner Michael McGrath said European consumers deserve accurate information about the environmental practices of companies in the single market, and Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said traders in the EU must be transparent and fair in their labelling practices.