Driving Consumer Awareness: How the FBCA community at national levels are reinventing recycling communication
October 29, 2025
Across Europe, food and beverage carton national associations are proving that sustainability messaging doesn’t have to be dull. Through bold ideas and innovative campaigns, they are ensuring consumers understand one crucial fact: food and beverage cartons are a strong low-carbon choice that are collected and recycled at scale. This month, we explore how Switzerland, Germany, France, Slovenia, and Poland are leading the charge.
Switzerland: The “It-Bag” trend turns recycling into fashion
Switzerland’s latest awareness campaign makes recycling stylish. With striking posters placed near retail and collection points and amplified through digital channels, the campaign invites consumers to embrace the trend: “Recycling beverage cartons is trendy! Get yours now! It-Bag.”
The creative concept, developed by Ruf Lanz Werbeagentur AG, transforms the humble recycling bag into a fashion statement. By linking sustainability with lifestyle, the campaign cleverly motivates people to collect beverage cartons and plastics in the designated recycling bag.
Find out more by visiting the Swiss Association for Beverage Carton Recycling and their campaigns in German and in French.
Germany: “Think Inside The Box” – A walk-in experience
In Berlin, the German Beverage Cartan Association (Fachverband Kartonverpackungen für flüssige Nahrungsmittel, FKN) launched “Think Inside The Box”, a campaign that literally invites people to step inside a giant food and beverage carton.
The centrepiece? A 3.5-metre-high walk-in carton mounted on a catamaran cruising through the government district on the Spree. Inside, visitors discovered 18 bold messages showcasing the environmental benefits of cartons.
This immersive installation sparked dialogue among policymakers, NGOs, and industry leaders about packaging innovation and circular economy goals.
Learn more by visiting FKN and their innovative walk-in food and beverage carton.
France: “C’est dans la brique” – Digital Storytelling with a Twist
In France, Alliance Carton Nature tackled the challenge of shifting perceptions in a world where packaging is often seen only as waste. Their campaign “C’est dans la brique”, created with Edelman, uses digital content blending creativity and education to put the iconic food and beverage carton back at the centre of everyday life.
The campaign launched in May 2025 with a six-episode web series on YouTube, featuring influencers Just1bisou, Léa Camilleri, and Chef N-Zem alongside industry experts. Together, they explore the carton’s lifecycle - from breakfast tables to recycling bins - through humour and practical insights.
Complementing the series are short social media videos driving traffic to a dedicated platform, which offers rich, accessible information about the food and beverage carton’s benefits and recyclability.
Learn more by clicking the video below.
Slovenia: Education as a Catalyst for Change
Slovenia’s Eko-paket initiative focuses on shaping perceptions early. Through posters, school programmes, and national conferences, the campaign embeds the message that beverage cartons are recyclable and integral to the circular economy.
With visibility in over 300 schools and kindergartens, Eko-paket demonstrates that education is a powerful tool for long-term behavioural change. Future plans include a teaching handbook on circular economy principles in partnership with the University of Ljubljana.
Learn more by visiting Slovenia's innovative education campaign.
Poland: Data-Driven Insights for Smarter Messaging
Poland’s approach combines research with education. A recent survey by the Food and Beverage Carton Association in Poland, Fundacja ProKarton, revealed that while 95% of Poles claim to sort packaging waste, only 64% know beverage cartons are recyclable, and just 58% dispose of them correctly.
These insights underscore the need for targeted communication. The foundation advocates for clearer instructions and systemic solutions like Extended Producer Responsibility (ROP) to boost correct sorting rates.
The Common Thread: Creativity meets responsibility
From fashion-inspired posters to floating installations, influencer-led web series, and classroom engagement, these campaigns share a common goal: to make recycling visible, relatable, and actionable. They show that when sustainability is communicated creatively, consumers engage, and food and beverage cartons secure their place in the circular economy as renewable, essential solutions for low-carbon, sustainable packaging.
