Trials of Coca-Cola’s compact smart dispenser – the smallest unit in its Freestyle® range are beginning in Europe.
The first trials will take place at a range of at-work and on-the-go outlets in France and Belgium, in partnership with Coca‑Cola Europacific Partners. Trials in Great Britain will begin shortly thereafter, as additional European countries and customers are added to the trials throughout 2022.
The compact dispenser enables direct digital consumer interaction, with options for consumers to personalise temperature and carbonisation levels to their taste, with around 40 beverage choices on offer, using their own reusable vessel.
The development builds on the existing work of Coca‑Cola to innovate dispensed solutions as a ‘drinks-on-demand’ category, offering smaller on-the-go and at-work locations the opportunity to provide consumers with their favourite drinks, their way.
Preliminary Life Cycle Analysis, of the New Compact Freestyle®, has identified a lower carbon footprint per litre of chilled beverage compared with conventional pack types, for example, cans and PET bottles. Further sustainability analysis will now be conducted in real-world conditions through this and future planned trials, with additional external LCA analysis and verification to be undertaken. The digital capabilities of the dispenser will also provide rich data and insights into consumer behaviour, to help further optimise the solution.
According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, dispensed options with reusable containers can be among the best packaging options for reducing our carbon footprint. Such dispensed solutions are expected to be instrumental to reaching Coca‑Cola’s recently announced new, global goal of 25% reusable packaging by 2030, which includes refillable vessels for dispensed drinks, along with refillable or returnable glass and plastic bottles.
This drinks-on-demand innovation also has the potential to contribute towards Coca‑Cola in Europe reaching its ambitious target of a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (vs. a 2015 baseline) and Net Zero emissions by 2040.
“The findings of our preliminary analysis promisingly show that the New Compact Freestyle® can have a lower carbon footprint per serving compared to traditional packs, such as cans and PET bottles. This is hugely encouraging given the importance to deliver meaningful action on sustainability for Coca‑Cola, and our customers and consumers.
“These new trials mean that consumers can prepare their own perfect drink, just as they like it, and can use less packaging and carbon to do so – a win-win for them, and the environment.”
