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BEUC, which has 45 members, said the average European consumer drinks 118 litres of bottled water annually, 97% of which is in plastic containers while beverage bottles are one of the top sources of plastic pollution on European beaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In terms of their complaint, BEUC said the phrase \u201c100% recyclable\u201d, is ambiguous and depends on the effectiveness of local sorting and processing. For PET beverage bottles, the recycling rate is 55% in the EU and the chance of it becoming a bottle again about 30%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The term \u201c100% recycled\u201d ignored the fact that bottle lids are not made of recycled materials, and labels are rarely made from them either. Adding virgin plastic to the bottle body was also a common practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The groups said imagery such as green logos or of nature gave the impression that bottles were positive for the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The European Commission said national authorities would look into the complaint and consult on possible action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coca-Cola Great Britain said it had global goals of collecting and recycling a bottle or can for each one it sells and having 25% of volumes in refillable or returnable containers by 2030. \u201cWe only communicate messages on our packaging that can be substantiated\u201d to enable consumers to make informed choices, a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Danone said it was making progress in reducing single-use plastic and virgin plastic \u2013 which was down by 10% since 2018. Nestl\u00e9, meanwhile, has cut its virgin plastic packaging by 10.5% since 2018 and was on track to cut it by a third by the end of 2025, a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Industry groups Natural Mineral Waters Europe and UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe said the beverage sector pioneered reusing or recycling packaging and valued clear communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHowever, beverage producers\u2019 ability to incorporate recycled PET back into their bottles depends on the availability of and access to a sufficient quantity of high-quality recycled material,\u201d they said in a joint statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnfortunately, collection rates for beverage packaging at the EU level are stagnating below 60%, and the PET from recycled bottles is often downcycled into other applications\u201d, like jumpers made from recycled polyester, they added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n