43% of volumes sold in reusable format by 2030
Latest reported: 39% (2025)
From the source“43% of volumes sold in reusable format by 2030. 2025 progress: 39% of volumes sold in reusable format”
Beverage
HEINEKEN packaging profile
HEINEKEN is a global brewer. In 2025 it reports 39% of volumes sold in reusable formats, 48% recycled content in bottles and cans and 98% of packaging recyclable by design, against 2030 targets of 43%, 50% and 99%.
Company profile
At a glance
- Legal name
- Heineken N.V.10
- Headquarters
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands (city only; street address not verified)1
- Listing
- Euronext Amsterdam9
- Financial year end
- 31 December1
- Revenue (IFRS)
- EUR 34,257 million (2025); EUR 35,955 million (2024)1
- Employees
- 87,000 (11 Feb 2026)1
- Markets
- Brands present in about 190 countries; breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries7
- Website
- theheinekencompany.com7
- Note
- Non-returnable packaging cost EUR 5,315m in 2025 (EUR 5,651m in 2024), reported as a variable cost line; returnable packaging deposits on the balance sheet EUR 543m (2025) and EUR 525m (2024).1
- Note
- The company plans to reduce its global workforce by about 5,000 to 6,000 roles over the next two years.1
- End uses
- Beverage
The business
Business and brands
Brands by category
- Global brand1
- Heineken
- Heineken 0.0
- Heineken Silver
- International brands8
- Amstel
- Sol
- Tiger
- Birra Moretti
- Edelweiss
- Desperados
- Regional and local beers: Europe1
- Cruzcampo
- Sagres
- Zywiec
- Foster's
- Murphy's Stout
- Gallia
- Texels
- Regional and local beers: Americas1
- Tecate
- Dos Equis
- Indio
- Carta Blanca
- Miller High Life
- Eisenbahn
- Regional and local brands: Africa & Middle East1
- Windhoek
- Legend Stout
- Maltina
- Harar
- Bedele
- Bernini
- Regional and local beers: Asia Pacific1
- Kingfisher
- Bintang
- Larue
- Tiger Crystal
- Cider and beyond beer1
- Strongbow
- Savanna
- Inch's
- Old Mout
- STELZ
Markets
Geographic footprint
As the company reports it
Packaging profile
Formats and materials the company itself reports using, in its own reporting. No pack specifications, volumes or supplier names beyond what it has published.
| Format | Material | What the company reports |
|---|---|---|
| Reusable formats (not itemised) | Mixed | 39% of volumes sold in reusable formats in 20252 |
| Bottles and cans | Glass; aluminium | 48% recycled content in bottles and cans in 20252 |
| All | Mixed | 98% of packaging recyclable by design in 20252 |
| Shrink film; secondary packaging | Plastic film | Biggest recyclability challenges are shrink film and secondary plastic packaging, plus small-volume packaging; redesign work under way3 |
| Refillable bottle | Glass | Glass bottle reuse in France through Citeo's ReUse initiative, aiming for 9 million refillable beer bottles a year by 20305 |
| Can | Aluminium | Aluminium cans: can supply costs cut by about 20% in Vietnam and Cambodia; new 50cl Savanna can in South Africa1 |
| Draught kegs and dispense | Not specified | Draught systems offered under the brands menu include David Classic, David XL, Brewlock, BLADE, DraughtKeg, BeerTender and Bluebird8 |
Reporting scope: Recyclable by design means packaging technically designed to fit into recycling streams proven to work at scale in at least one representative market.3
Packaging suppliers
No packaging supplier relationship is publicly announced in the sources reviewed. The company says supplier agreements include data requirements and the aim of increasing recycled content each year, without naming suppliers.
Industry and recycling partners named by the company3
The register
Packaging targets and progress
Targets and progress are taken from each company's own published reports, with a quote and a link on its page. Status shows met or missed only where the company has reported the result. No contacts, purchase volumes, supplier relationships or pack specifications are listed.
50% recycled content in bottles and cans by 2030
Latest reported: 48% (2025)
From the source“50% recycled content in bottles and cans by 2030. 2025 progress: 48% of recycled content in bottles and cans”
99% of all packaging recyclable by design by 2030
Latest reported: 98% (2025)
From the source“99% of all packaging is recyclable by design by 2030. 2025 progress: 98% of packaging recyclable by design”
Reduce Scope 3 non-FLAG emissions by 25% by 2030 vs 2022
Latest reported: 15% reduction vs 2022 (2025)
From the source“Reduce Scope 3 FLAG (forest, land and agriculture) emissions by 30% and non-FLAG by 25% by 2030”
9 million refillable beer bottles per year in France by 2030 (with Carrefour, through Citeo's ReUse initiative)
Latest reported: Not reported
From the source“with a goal of producing 9 million refillable beer bottles per year by 2030”
HEINEKEN – HEINEKEN and Carrefour join forces in France · Feb 2026
Commitments
Commitments and baselines
Every packaging and supply-chain commitment the company has published, with its baseline and the latest progress it reports. Status says met or missed only where the company states the result.
| Commitment | By | Baseline | Latest reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brew a Better World43% of volumes sold in reusable format2 | 2030 | – | 39% (2025) | In progress |
| Brew a Better World50% recycled content in bottles and cans2 | 2030 | – | 48% (2025) | In progress |
| Brew a Better World99% of all packaging recyclable by design2 | 2030 | – | 98% (2025) | In progress |
| Carrefour France partnership9 million refillable beer bottles per year through Citeo's ReUse initiative5 | 2030 | – | Not reported | In progress |
| Brew a Better WorldNet zero across the value chain by 2040; Scope 3 non-FLAG emissions -25% and FLAG -30% by 2030 vs 20222Packaging (glass, aluminium, board) is part of non-FLAG Scope 3, so packaging suppliers are inside this target (SPI note). | 2030 | 2022 | Scope 3 non-FLAG -15%, FLAG -23%; Scope 1, 2 and 3 -19% vs 2022 (2025) | In progress |
Initiatives and pacts the company names
Last 24 months
Recent packaging developments
2025 full year results: Austrian canned beer volume fell sharply after a new government deposit scheme; aluminium can supply costs cut about 20% in Vietnam and Cambodia; non-returnable packaging cost EUR 5,315m.1
HEINEKEN and Carrefour agreed in France to accelerate glass bottle reuse through Citeo's ReUse initiative, aiming for 9 million refillable beer bottles a year by 2030; a separate 2025 Carrefour agreement in Spain aims to work towards eliminating plastics in packaging.5
Brew a Better World 2025 progress: 39% of volumes in reusable formats, 48% recycled content in bottles and cans, 98% recyclable by design, against 2030 targets of 43%, 50% and 99%.2
HEINEKEN joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Network as a Partner to help scale reusable packaging.4
SPI analysis
Regulatory exposure
SPI analysis Our reading of the sourced facts above. Not company-reported, not legal advice.
Basis: Presence is taken from markets named in the 2025 full year results1 and the company's statement that its brands are present in about 190 countries7. No subsidiary list was read. Rule IDs are from the SPI Regulation Tracker. As a brewer and cider maker, HEINEKEN is exposed to beverage deposit rules, PPWR reuse and collection targets and EPR on glass, cans, film and board. Whether HEINEKEN or an importer is the obligated producer in each country was not checked. Not legal advice.
| Jurisdiction | Rules in the Regulation Tracker |
|---|---|
| European UnionHeadquarters in Amsterdam; markets named include Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic1; Europe net revenue (beia) EUR 11,457m ( |
PPWR reuse targets for beverages, transport and grouped packaging, the 90% beverage container collection target, tethered caps and recycled content in PET bottles all fit a brewer's mix. PR-EU-002 (food-contact PFAS) is listed because beverage packaging is food-contact packaging; relevance to beer packaging coatings not checked. |
| GermanyNot confirmed in the sources read; brands sold in about 190 countries7; Germany not named in the results release1 |
Applies if HEINEKEN products are placed on the German market by a HEINEKEN entity; importer may be the obligated party. |
| FranceMarket named in results release1; Carrefour partnership in France5 | |
| SpainMarket named in results release (Cruzcampo; Spain volume)1 |
Spanish plastic tax for any PET or shrink film; RD 1055/2022 includes beverage reuse targets. |
| AustriaMarket named; canned beer fell after the new deposit scheme1 | The company itself links an Austrian volume decline to the deposit scheme. |
| IrelandMarket named in results release1 | |
| PortugalMarket named in results release (Sagres)1 | |
| PolandMarket named in results release1 | Polish deposit covers glass as well as plastic and metal. |
| United KingdomMarket named in results release; Star Pubs estate1 |
Drinks DRS for England, Northern Ireland and Scotland plus pEPR and Plastic Packaging Tax on shrink film and other plastic. |
| United StatesMarket named in results release1 |
Applies to whichever HEINEKEN entity or importer is the producer under each state law; not checked. PR-US-009 covers plastic beverage containers and does not apply to glass or cans. |
| CanadaMarket named in results release1 | |
| IndiaMarket named in results release (Kingfisher)1 |
Plastic packaging EPR covers any plastic used (for example shrink film, labels or PET); glass and cans are outside these rules. |
| ChinaMarket named in results release1 | GB 23350-2021 covers food including beverages; gift packs are the likely exposure (SPI reading). |
| JapanNot confirmed in the sources read; brands sold in about 190 countries7 | Applies only if HEINEKEN products are placed on the Japanese market by a HEINEKEN entity. |
| AustraliaNot confirmed in the sources read; brands sold in about 190 countries7 | |
| New ZealandNot confirmed in the sources read; brands sold in about 190 countries7 | Tracker rules are single-use item phase-outs; no direct match. |
| VietnamMarket named; can supply cost cut about 20% in Vietnam and Cambodia1 | |
| PhilippinesNot confirmed in the sources read; brands sold in about 190 countries7 | |
| IndonesiaMarket named in results release (Bintang)1 | |
| ChileNot confirmed in the sources read; brands sold in about 190 countries7 | |
| ColombiaNot confirmed in the sources read; brands sold in about 190 countries7 | |
| BrazilMarket named in results release1 | |
| KenyaOperations in Kenya named in results release1 | |
| South AfricaMarket named; operations in South Africa (Savanna, Amstel, Bernini)1 | |
| United Arab EmiratesNot confirmed in the sources read; brands sold in about 190 countries7 | Dubai rule targets single-use products; no direct match. |
Plastic taxes: Plastic taxes in the tracker that can apply: UK Plastic Packaging Tax (PR-GB-001) and Spain's non-reusable plastic packaging tax (PR-ES-001), mainly on shrink film, PET and other plastic secondary packaging. Glass and cans are outside both. The EU plastic own resource (PR-EU-017) is paid by Member States.
SPI analysis
What this means for packaging suppliers
SPI analysis Our reading of the sourced facts above. Not company-reported, not legal advice.
HEINEKEN is close to its 2030 recycled-content (48% vs 50%) and recyclability (98% vs 99%) goals for bottles and cans, so the remaining work sits in reuse, where it needs to move from 39% to 43% of volume, and in shrink film and secondary plastic, which it names as its biggest recyclability problem. That points to demand for returnable glass, crates and kegs, reuse logistics, and recyclable or fibre-based alternatives to shrink film. The company says supplier agreements already ask for data and rising recycled content each year, so glass and can suppliers should expect recycled-content reporting as a condition of business. Non-returnable packaging cost about EUR 5.3 billion in 2025 and the company is cutting can costs in Asia, so price pressure is real. Deposit schemes in Austria, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, the UK and the EU-wide 90% collection target will shift pack mixes country by country. No supplier relationship has been publicly announced; this describes likely demand, not who supplies.
Limits
Data gaps
What the sources reviewed do not show, or what we could not confirm. Know something we have missed? Tell the SPI team and we will check it.
- The full Annual Report 2025 PDF could not be fetched (fetch error), so legal seat, street address, subsidiary list and packaging mix by material are missing.
- Euronext ticker symbol not shown on the page read; ISIN only.
- Baselines for the reuse, recycled content and recyclable targets not stated on the page read.
- Presence in Germany, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Chile, Colombia and the UAE not confirmed.
- No packaging tonnage or split by glass, can, PET and keg found.
- Ellen MacArthur Global Commitment and Plastics Pact membership not found; the company is an EMF Network Partner.
- Spain Carrefour 2025 agreement is cited only as mentioned in the February 2026 release; the original release was not read.
- Brazil Mamba Water (October 2025) and Project Circle (May 2024) were seen only as newsroom titles; not read.
- Employee figure differs between pages (over 87,000 in the results release; 85,000 on the Who we are page).
- Euronext page is an exchange source, marked third_party.
Evidence
Sources
- HEINEKEN N.V. – 2025 Full Year ResultsRegulatory filing · published 11 Feb 2026 · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- HEINEKEN – Brew a Better World 2025 progress (Annual Report 2025 extract)Company publication · published Feb 2026 · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- HEINEKEN – Maximising circularityCompany publication · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- HEINEKEN – HEINEKEN Partners with Ellen MacArthur Foundation to Drive Global Packaging Reuse EffortsCompany publication · published 22 Apr 2025 · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- HEINEKEN – HEINEKEN and Carrefour join forces in FranceCompany publication · published 5 Feb 2026 · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- HEINEKEN – Our global presenceCompany publication · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- HEINEKEN – Who we areCompany publication · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- HEINEKEN – International brandsCompany publication · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- Euronext – HEINEKEN company information (NL0000009165)Third party · consulted 13 Oct 2026
- HEINEKEN – ContactCompany publication · consulted 13 Oct 2026
Targets in the register above link to their own source. Facts are summarised in the SPI team's words; quotes are marked.
Method
About the SPI Buyers Database
- Purpose
- To help packaging makers and suppliers see what large buyers have committed to publicly, by end use and region, and how far they have got.
- Coverage
- 42 large brand owners and retailers so far, chosen for their size in packaging demand. It is not a complete list of buyers in any market.
- Data sources
- Each company's own sustainability, annual and ESG reports, press releases and filings, plus official sources where a pledge was made to a public body.
- SPI Methodology
- For each target we record the wording, the target year, the latest progress the company reports and a short quote from the source. Status says met or missed only when the company states the result; otherwise it shows in progress or not reported.
- Limitations
- Companies report on different bases and years. Headquarters countries and end uses are assigned by the SPI team and are not separately sourced. Rows have not yet been re-checked by a second SPI team member. No contacts, purchase volumes, supplier relationships or pack specifications are included.
- Access
- Free to read and to download as CSV. For an analysis of a buyer group for your products, ask for a buyer briefing.
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Questions people bring
- Q1
Which material should replace our current pack?
We compare the realistic alternatives on recyclability evidence, regulatory fit and cost direction, and say where the evidence is thin.
- Q2
How do our targets compare with our peers'?
We benchmark the public packaging commitments and reported progress of the companies you name, each with its source.