Creating Sustainable Solutions
As the national industry association representing companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages consumed in Canada, we’re proud of the high rates at which our containers are collected, but we want every bottle back. CBA is wholeheartedly committed to and united behind a vision of a circular economy for plastic, in which packaging materials stay in the economy and out of landfill.
To this end, non-alcoholic beverage companies are working to reduce and eliminate various packaging aspects that aren’t readily compatible with a circular economy, redesign packaging for higher recycling compatibility, and engage in consumer education and public policy initiatives to drive up recycling rates.
Here is how:
Industry Collaboration in Recycling
The CBA has committed to developing the circular economy for beverage containers by supporting the collection, recycling, and use of recycled PET, aluminum, and glass in packaging.
Deposit Return and Collection Leadership
CBA members fund and operate some of the highest-performing beverage container recovery systems in Canada, with recovery rates above 75% according to the Beverage Container Recovery Network of Canada.
Engagement on Extended Produer Responsibility (EPR)
CBA is actively engaged with provinces across Canada on implementing or modernizing EPR programs for packaging and advocates for harmonized, efficient EPR that enables high recovery rates.
Canada Plastics Pact
CBA is a signatory of the Canada Plastics Pact and algined with the goal of creating a path to a circular economy for plastic packaging.
The Canada Plastics Pact (CPP)
The Canada Plastics Pact brings together 1,000+ diverse organizations globally with Canadian thought leaders, and works closely with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact Network in adopting the New Plastics Economy’s common vision of a circular economy for plastics, as set out in Ellen MacArthur’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and the Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP).
Made to be Remade
Beverage containers are made to be remade! We are carefully designing them to be entirely recyclable – even the caps. Our goal is for every bottle, can and carton to become a new container and not end up in oceans, rivers, beaches and landfills. And that means we are losing less valuable materials.
Member Accomplishments
By early 2024, all 500‑mL sparkling beverage bottles sold by The Coca‑Cola Company in Canada were made with 100% recycled plastic* (*excluding caps and labels), making the company the first to launch multiple sparkling beverages in 100% recycled plastic bottles across the country. This followed the 2023 nationwide rollout of DASANI bottles made from 100% rPET.
KDP has accomplished a 17% virgin plastic reduction across their packagin portfolio since 2019, with 96% of packaging converted to be recyclable or compostable.
Naya Waters has created a new 600 ml format containing 20% more water with 0% extra plastic (compared to 500 ml bottle) and their 12x500mL format is now made from 100% recycled plastic.
Every single Eska bottle is made with high-quality 100% recycled, 100% recyclable plastic (rPET) making all their bottles completely sustainable.
ALL MEMBERS
According to the Conference Board of Canada, in 2022 over 90 per cent of the overall industry by sales revenue and about 80 per cent by employment had taken significant sustainability efforts to improve the sustainability of beverage products.