Coca-Cola Philippines to use recycled packaging by 2023

COCA-COLA Beverages Philippines, Inc., announced that its key brands, Coca-Cola Original Taste and Wilkins Pure, will shift to 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic packaging, excluding caps and labels, by next year.

“It has been four years since starting our World Without Waste journey, and we understand more than ever the importance of partnership and collective action,” said Antonio V. del Rosario, Jr., Coca-Cola Philippines’ president and vice president for the east franchise operations of Coca-Cola Asean and South Pacific, at an Oct. 14 event.

“Together, we are making good progress in accelerating the transition to a circular economy for our packaging in the Philippines, with much more still to do,” he added.

As part of its sustainable efforts, the beverage company helped set up over 800 PET plastic bottle collection points across the Philippines as of September.

PETValue Philippines, its PET plastic bottle recycling facility in Cavite that began operating at full capacity last month, can process approximately two billion pieces of used clear PET plastic bottles annually.

The P2.28 billion recycling facility was established through a joint venture with Bangkok-based green technology group Indorama Ventures, as part of the company’s goal to use advanced recycling technologies to contribute to a circular economy.

“The next step is to help build the network for collection and make recycling accessible, and we can only do this by forging stronger partnerships with stakeholders,” said Gareth McGeown, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. president and chief executive officer.

Plastic Bank has also helped the beverage company collect and recycle almost 13.7 million PET plastic bottles, diverting them from oceans and landfills.

The Tapon to Ipon program, launched in 2021, allows sari-sari stores, wholesalers, and distributors to become hubs where people deposit their used clear plastic bottles of any brand, and get incentives in return. To date, over 200 sari-sari stores have participated.

“There are more partnerships to come in the coming months, as we accelerate this program, launching up to 700 hubs across the Philippines by the end of the year. Plans for a further expansion in 2023 are underway,” said Mr. McGeown.

For the fourth consecutive year, the global Coca-Cola company was named the world’s top plastic polluter by Break Free from Plastic in its annual audit in 2021. — Brontë H. Lacsamana