WALES – Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has announced an investment in cutting-edge carbon conversion research to develop more environmentally sustainable packaging materials.
Set to be carried out by researchers at Swansea University, the project will explore a new method of manufacturing ethylene – a crucial component in plastic, including HDPE, which is used to produce plastic bottle caps.
The research aims to develop technology capable of using CO₂ captured from the atmosphere as an alternative to fossil fuels used in the ethylene production process. This offers a potentially more sustainable method of creating plastic packaging.
The project is the latest to be funded through CCEP’s innovation investment engine, CCEP Ventures (CCEPV), and follows a series of investments designed to drive innovation and sustainability progress in line with CCEP’s net zero 2040 ambition.
Craig Twyford, Head of CCEP Ventures, said, “We’re incredibly excited about the potential of this research. We understand that the sustainability of our packaging materials is crucial for reducing our carbon footprint, and technology will be instrumental in addressing this challenge.
“Through Ventures, we are committed to seeking out and funding solutions that will create a better future for our business, communities, and the planet. If scaled, this technology could have a significant impact on our fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions, ultimately accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future for CCEP.”
The three-year project will initially focus on developing a highly efficient and productive CO₂ to ethylene conversion process, before evaluating options for scaling up.
As part of its sustainability action plan, This Is Forward, CCEP is committed to reducing the impact of its packaging and accelerating the transition to a circular economy for plastic.
Professor Enrico Andreoli, Head of Chemical Engineering at Swansea University and Principal Investigator of the project, added, “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with CCEP to develop next-generation carbon dioxide utilization technology.
“We take a practical approach in our research, specifically focusing on sustainable applications. One key area of focus is fossil-free ethylene production.
“We build upon our strong background and expertise in carbon dioxide conversion and with the support of CCEP Ventures, our common goal of delivering low-carbon sustainable plastic can become a reality.”
This investment follows previous partnerships aimed at developing and expanding advanced climate technology. One recent partnership was formed with the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) to create scalable techniques for converting captured CO₂ into sugar. Additionally, an investment was made into CuRe, a technology that provides a solution for recycling hard-to-recycle plastic polyester waste, giving it a new purpose.
These investments are designed to make essential raw and packaging materials more sustainable in the long term, accelerating the potential to reduce some of the largest CO₂ contributors in supply chains while saving material, transportation, and logistics costs.
The announcement follows the news that CCEP, The Coca-Cola Company, and seven other bottling partners from around the world have launched a separate US$137.7 million venture capital fund focusing on sustainability investments.
The fund will complement CCEP Ventures, which focuses on early-stage businesses, by investing in companies at the point of commercialization.
