Coca-Cola HBC has partnered with DS Smith and packaging machinery company Krones. Coca-Cola HBC, one of Coke’s bottling partners, has now produced Lift Up. This handle is fully recyclable and made of cardboard. It is designed to replace the plastic shrink wrap typically used on 1.5-liter soda multipacks. The new sustainable packaging option will slash plastic waste. Reports indicate the companies are already testing it in the Austrian market.

Marcel Martin, Coca-Cola HBC’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer, said the innovation reflects the company’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2040.

“We will continue to innovate, collaborate, and invest,” Martin commented. “This ensures we can keep delivering our drinks in sustainable ways.”

He explained the significance of the new handle: “Lift Up may look simple. It is basically a fully recyclable, fiber-based handle and bottle carrier. Yet, it solves a huge environmental problem.”

Coca-Cola HBC estimates this single change alone will remove about 200 metric tons of plastic from the supply chain yearly. The change will also lower emissions across manufacturing, packing, and distribution.

The firm also created a wraparound recyclable label. This label replaces additional plastic marketing materials. Other similar changes have worked well, including paper-based six-pack rings and decomposable bioplastics.

Fiber-based packaging still has its own environmental footprint. Companies must harvest trees, and industrial emissions remain part of the production process. However, forest experts maintain that companies can minimize that footprint. This requires shifting toward renewable energy sources and “sustainably managed forests.”

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