A strong partner for transparency

16.04.2026: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), is collaborating with Vetropack and the start-up Myneral Labs to drive the digital advancement of the reusable glass bottle cycle: For the first time, every bottle is digitally traceable thanks to Data Matrix codes. Discover how this innovative technology increases efficiency, conserves resources, and enables more precise inventory management – ground-breaking pilot project that is redefining the future of the reusable bottle cycle.

Until now, figures on use cycles and estimates on losses of reusable glass bottles from the CCEP plant in Bad Neuenahr were based on experience and empirical models – as is the case for most bottling facilities. Maika Seidler, Senior Manager of Digital Innovation & Experimentation, and her team agreed: To gain a deeper understanding of bottle movement within the reuse cycle, models needed to be substituted with real data. This is an approach Vetropack had already successfully tested on Rezon bottles using Data Matrix codes. For the joint pilot project with CCEP, Vetropack has consistently built upon both the existing expertise as well as the system already in place. 

Vetropack has been providing Apollinaris with bottles since 2006 and today does so across Europe. Nowe, the 0.75-litre mineral water bottle has been redesigned so that individual Data Matrix codes can be applied directly to the neck of the bottle at the hot end of the production line in Kremsmünster. These codes are later scanned by camera systems from the start-up Myneral Labs on the filling line in Bad Neuenahr, revealing the digital history of each bottle – including data on use cycles, rejects, and quality. “Essentially, we are connecting two worlds: that of the physical bottle and that of the data,” says Seidler. Michael Waltl, Technical Customer Service Manager at Vetropack Austria, adds: “This presented a significant technical challenge because serialisation using Data Matrix codes has never before been used in the glass industry.” 

The joint effort of all project teams involved paid off: Every bottle that passes through the CCEP filling line in Bad Neuenahr is now fully digitally traceable. Real-time data provides transparency and replaces previous projections. For Coca-Cola, this primarily means one thing: significantly more precise inventory control and planning that is strictly aligned with actual demand. “We truly have bottles exactly where we need them and at the right time – even more precisely, even more accurately. This helps us to deploy resources more effectively and to make our processes more efficient,” Seidler concludes. A second site is soon to follow the pilot project, with the aim of making an entire pool of bottles digitally traceable.

For Erich Jaquemar, Key Account Manager at Vetropack Austria, this joint project once again underscores the potential of Data Matrix code technology: “The combination of material expertise and digital solutions opens up new possibilities within the reuse cycle. Through serialisation, we are creating the foundation for long-term, future-proof optimisation.”

More about the project

The pilot project sets new standards for transparency and efficiency within the reuse cycle, positioning the consortium as a pioneer of digital transformation in the glass packaging industry. The newly developed solution has already been submitted for the Austrian State Prize; further submissions for prestigious innovation awards are currently being reviewed to increase the international visibility of the project's innovative strength and to promote exchange with other industry players.