February 16, 2025 – Carlsberg Reports Significant Progress in Zero Packaging Waste Initiative, Marching Steadily Towards Sustainability Goals
In its newly released 2024 annual report, Carlsberg announced it has achieved remarkable results in its zero packaging waste initiative, making steady progress towards its sustainability objectives. The company has set an ambitious target to ensure that 100% of its primary packaging, including bottles, cans, and plastic kegs, is recyclable, reusable, or renewable (3R) by 2030. To date, Carlsberg has successfully incorporated 94% of its packaging into this eco-friendly category, bringing it closer to realizing its vision of fully sustainable packaging.
To attain this goal, Carlsberg continues to innovate in the selection and design of packaging materials, extensively adopting environmentally friendly options and significantly reducing the use of traditional packaging materials harmful to the environment. In terms of recycling, Carlsberg has also set high standards, aiming for a 90% collection and recycling rate for bottles and cans by 2030. Thanks to the successful implementation of deposit systems and deepened industry collaboration, Carlsberg’s global collection and recycling rate reached 76% in 2024, a 4-percentage-point increase from the 2019 baseline of 72%.
According to information obtained by AsiaMB, Carlsberg has also established clear targets for the recycled content of its packaging materials. By 2030, the company aims for bottles and cans to contain 50% recycled material, sourced exclusively from post-consumer recycled materials. In 2024, Carlsberg achieved a 43% recycled content in its primary packaging materials, marking a significant 14-percentage-point increase from the 2019 baseline of 29%. Through technological innovation and supply chain optimization, Carlsberg continues to expand the scope and proportion of recycled materials used, effectively reducing the consumption of virgin materials and mitigating the environmental impact of packaging.
Furthermore, Carlsberg is committed to reducing the use of fossil-based plastics, with a goal of achieving a 50% reduction by 2030 compared to the 2019 baseline. The company collaborates closely with suppliers worldwide to explore ways to increase the recycled content in plastic bottles. For instance, in Norway, the recycled content of its PET product portfolio has reached an impressive 80%. Additionally, through lightweight design and the use of renewable materials like recycled PET or PEF as alternatives to virgin materials, Carlsberg reduced the use of virgin plastic in its primary packaging materials by 20% in 2024 compared to the 2019 baseline. This notable achievement is primarily attributed to the widespread adoption of recycled materials.
Carlsberg’s initiatives not only demonstrate the company’s strong commitment to environmental protection but also set an example for sustainable development within the industry. As Carlsberg continues to advance its zero packaging waste initiative, it is expected to lead more companies to join the green development movement and contribute collectively to the global environmental protection effort.