we stay awake.
sustainability update 2024
The wait is over – our 2024 sustainability update is here. Take a look at the changes we made last year to push things forward. spoiler: fritz-kola stayed bold and kept its stance firm.
Back in our 2022/23 report, we changed the way we look at things – less rearview, way more looking ahead. And we said it clearly: sustainability needs democracy. We only move forward when everyone’s on board. That’s why we asked the fritz community to vote on where and how we should step up next.
Their answer? More climate action. So, we got to work. In a pilot project with our partner klim, we joined forces with farmers to give mother nature some real support. The result? Less co₂ in our supply chain. You’ll find the details in this update.
Change is what drives us – not just in climate work, but everywhere. That’s why 2024 came with fresh energy: fritz-kola got a facelift. New logo, sharper look, updated design – not just a tweak, but a statement. Because standing still, is not an option when you're aiming for real change.
Our push for a sustainable transformation earned us the German Sustainability Award in 2024. Category: beverage industry. Rank: right at the top. And as a sustainability frontrunner in this space, we’ll keep going – full steam ahead into the biggest challenges of our time.
You can download the full update here.
We are all in this together:
our first sustainability report, that you can take part in.
Sustainability reports usually look backward and inform without involving. But in 2024, we let our community help steer the course for the very first time. Because sustainability thrives on participation. Through a ballot-style campaign on social media, we asked where we should step up our efforts next – and received around 5,000 responses.
The choices made by our community didn’t just shape our work at fritz-kola – they also carried political weight as a warm-up for the European elections. It was a call to stand up for an open, democratic society.
In recognition of this innovative format, we received the Bronze Marketing for Future Award and a PR Prize.
the chapters.
black heart. colourful world. exactly our thing.
Democracy needs commitment – that’s why we’re staying wide awake, especially in times like these. We don’t just call on people to vote, we encourage them to think for themselves. Our democratic sustainability report is a bold statement of responsibility and shared decision-making.
without diversity, we're missing out.
In the key election year of 2024, decisive state elections took place in eastern Germany. No question: we had to show a clear stance. For democracy and colourful coexistence - but without pointing fingers.
Under the motto 'without diversity, we're missing out,' we spotlighted our customers and partners on giant black-and-white billboards in an out-of-home campaign. People like Thao, Hani, My, Alberto, Qui or Johannes – united by their commitment to tolerance, passion for their work and love for their city. The campaign aimed to spark thought, boost voter turnout and show clearly: diversity is the foundation of a strong, democratic society.
fewer emissions. better plan(et).
We are focusing on the future: less CO₂, shorter transport routes, and agriculture that works in harmony with nature. Environmental protection doesn't have to be complicated - it just has to happen.
#fritzforfarmers – ploughing ahead for a better planet.
Our community wanted more climate action – 40% of respondents voted for it in our first democratic sustainability report. Instead of going “climate neutral” with purchased certificates, we’d rather invest in real measures that make a real difference within our own supply chain and reduce CO₂ emissions. That’s why we kicked off a project with Klim – a platform for regenerative agriculture – and six farmers to grow sustainable sugar beets. What that means in practice: helping farmers enrich their soil with humus. Humus-rich soil is a powerful carbon sink, pulling CO₂ from the air. It also supports biodiversity and stabilizes ecosystems. Sounds pretty clean to us.
Our joint transformation includes methods like planting cover crops, -avoiding chemical fertilizers, and treating the soil gently. We’re doing it hand in hand with six farms in Thuringia, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. We provide everything they need for the shift – from knowledge to financing. Together, we’re producing 2,000 tonnes of sugar from regenerative agriculture on 2,000 hectares of land, reducing 1,800 tonnes of CO2 emissions and storing it in the soil. Real climate action without lazy compromises.
less CO₂, fewer journeys - lots and lots of kola for the world.
Since March 1, 2024, we’ve been sending our single-use glass pioneer bottles to countries without an established glass deposit system – in collaboration with the Kaiserdom brewery in Bamberg. These bottles are smaller, lighter, and better suited for long-distance transport, which helps reduce CO₂ emissions. On location, they go straight into glass recycling.
Of course, our goal remains crystal clear: we’re still pushing for reusable glass and a true system shift in the beverage industry. This pioneer bottle is our strategic sidekick on the way there.
At the end of 2024, we also announced our new bottling facility in Borgloon, Belgium. Expanding our ramp network means more capacity and shorter transport routes – which means less CO₂. Thanks to its location near the tri-border region, we can now deliver to customers in western Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands faster and more efficiently. It brings us even closer to the crucial Benelux region.
others are still planning – we’re already delivering.
Since 2019, we’ve been tracking exactly how much CO₂ we put into the world – and, more importantly, how we plan to reduce it. In 2021, we joined the Science Based Targets initiative and made a crystal-clear commitment to the UN’s 1.5-degree goal. While much of the world is missing its climate targets, we’re not just meeting ours – we’re beating them. Our goal for 2030: 46% less in Scope 1 and 2 emissions. As of 2024: already down by 69% – six years ahead of schedule and better than planned. fritzfritz hurrah! And there’s more: since 2024, our bottles have been filled using 100% green electricity, and by year’s end, 95% of our fleet was electric. But this is fritz-kola – we don’t stop there. So, we’re pushing ahead and cutting our Scope 3 emissions too.
our intermediate goal for 2025:
· 20% less consumption of water, heat and electricity per bottle (currently -21%, +16% and -8%)
· Increase the proportion of BIO-certified raw materials (excluding sugar) to 90% (currently 58%)*
· 100% sustainable mobility (e-mobility, public and long-distance transport, bicycles) for fritzees
· More than 95% sustainable advertising materials across all categories
*The reason for the lower share compared to 2023 is the loss of rhubarb harvests.
hand in hand with bottle deposits.
Every bottle helps. Through our commitment to bottle collectors and people experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness, we show solidarity. During major events like the 2024 European Football Championship, we once again turned the spotlight on those who are too often overlooked in our society.
every bottle helps – and deserves a place in the conversation.
Bottle collecting isn’t some fringe phenomenon. Time to toss the clichés – our third representative bottle deposit study* from “Every Bottle Helps” proves there’s no such thing as the typical collector. Back in 2021, we were the first to really take a closer look – with data, not assumptions. Because we take responsibility – loudly, consistently, and without excuses.
The number of deposit collectors is rising steadily, often for financial reasons - in 2024, there were 1,191,700 active deposit collectors in Germany. Almost half of them have a high school diploma or university entrance qualification, the gender ratio is balanced and only 6% live exclusively from collecting deposits. Homeless? 67% of deposit collectors are not.
*The data used is based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH, in which 2,034 people took part between 12 and 15 April 2024. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population aged 18 and over.
deposit house 2.0 – from trash to cash.
Festivals are the place to be for music, good vibes – and unfortunately, a lot of trash. Even with a deposit system in place, far too many bottles and cans still end up on the ground or get crushed underfoot.
That’s why in summer 2024, we brought our “deposit house” project back to music festivals for a second round. The idea: make sustainability fun. And it worked – with over 50,000 collected bottles and cans, we raised €14,380 for a good cause together with our partners.
euro 2024: bringing bottle collectors off the sidelines.
Lots of football fans bring drinks to the stadium – but empty bottles often end up in the trash or shattered on train platforms. So, for the 2024 European Championship, “Every Bottle Helps” teamed up with Deutsche Bahn.
On six match days, 36 deposit towers were set up at Berlin’s Olympiastadion S-Bahn station, with space for 4,600 bottles. The collected deposit – a total of €1,000 – was donated to Berliner Obdachlosenhilfe e.V., an organization supporting people experiencing homelessness.
always thirsty for more.
We stay awake, hungry for trends, and mindful in how we enjoy. As curious and open-minded fritzees, we bring fresh flavours and better ideas to the table. 2024 was packed with bold innovations that delivered real value.
calories down. flavour up.
Who says fewer calories have to mean less flavour? We’ve been on the low-calorie track for a while – since 2016, we’ve cut the average calorie content of our range by over 18%. By 2025, we’re aiming for a full 20%.
scientifically proven: small proves mighty.
Small bottles, big impact – and now it’s backed by science. We teamed up with YouGov to study the portion size effect in carbonated soft drinks, and the results are clear: bigger bottles = more consumption. Households with small bottles (up to 0.5 litres) drink an average of 419 ml per day. With medium (up to 1 litre) or large bottles (over 1 litre), that amount doubles or even triples! To put it in perspective: we crunched the numbers to see how big you'd have to be to casually chug the jumbo bottles our competitors offer – spoiler: you'd need to be dinosaur-sized.
That's why we focus on 0.2, 0.33 and 0.5 litre bottles. Because small portions are the perfect amount for moderate and conscious sugar consumption.
ginger lime is our newest squeeze.
The new fritz-limo ginger-lime joined our lineup in September 2024 – earlier than planned. after a successful spring test launch, it became available across Germany.
The fast launch was also our response to supply shortages of our fritz-spritz organic rhubarb spritzer, caused by weather-related crop failures. Climate change is real. Ginger-lime was our creative answer to a tough supply chain situation – and a tasty alternative for fresh enjoyment. Where there’s a will, there’s a drink.
sustainability at fritz-kola.
about fritz-kola.
fritz-kola was founded in 2002 by two students in Hamburg. The first kola was launched in 2003, followed by a wide range of juice-based lemonades and spritzers. Since day one, fritz-kola has relied on reusable glass bottles for the sake of the environment – and has continued to expand local, decentralized bottling ever since. fritz-kola is also actively involved in creating a more sustainable society through its “Every Bottle Helps” initiative and a wide range of projects. Mirco Wolf Wiegert and Florian Weins are managing directors of the company.
sustainability at fritz-kola.
Sustainability has played a central role in our corporate management since fritz-kola was founded. What was reflected in brown glass reusable bottles back then is now reflected in our corporate goals, values, guidelines and daily work. We do not want to go down this path alone, but consistently involve our stakeholders. We are in constant dialogue with suppliers and bottlers, as well as with distributors and customers from beverage wholesalers and retailers, restaurants and cash-and-carry markets. We also maintain close contact with our consumers through social media and events. We are an environmental partner of the city of Hamburg, a member of PRO MEHRWEG – Verband zur Förderung von Mehrwegverpackungen e. V. (Association for the Promotion of Reusable Packaging) as well as the Bundesdeutscher Arbeitskreis für umweltgerechtes Management (B.A.U.M.) e. V. (Federal German Working Group for Environmentally Sound Management), the Wirtschaftsvereinigung der Grünen e.V. (the Economic Association of the Greens e.V.) and Die Familienunternehmer e.V. (Family Businesses) and the Wirtschaftsrat der CDU e.V. (Economic Council of the CDU e.V.). We are also involved in the CLUBCOMMISSION BERLIN E.V. and the LiveMusikKommission e.V. In addition, we support the Arbeitskreis Mehrweg GbR (Round Table on Reusables) and recently founded the New European Reuse Alliance (New ERA) with other committed companies. In addition to specific events, we support numerous activists and non-governmental organisations in their work. We are always open to exchange with the media, politics, science, local communities and other companies in the market. This multifaceted dialogue continuously flows into our assessment of the material topics.
The Sustainability & Public Affairs team has an overview of our sustainability management. In our new structure, it reports directly to the Executive Board, which enables constant and direct dialogue on sustainability-related topics and decisions. The divisional management and the Executive Board have the final say and have also reviewed and approved this report and the previously identified material topics. Since 2023, Sustainability & Public Affairs team has been working closely with the Sustainability Taskforce, in which fritzees from all areas of the company are represented. This facilitates the implementation and integration of operational solutions into the company’s processes.
contact:
fritz-kola gmbh
pascal fromme | zenajda zaimi
spaldingstraße 64-68, 20097 hamburg
+49 40 219071690
nachhaltigkeit@fritz-kola.com