CHINA – The Coca-Cola Company has launched 500ml soft drink bottles made entirely from recycled plastic (rPET) in Hong Kong.
This initiative is part of the company’s latest efforts to enhance the sustainability of its beverage packaging.
Under this initiative, all 500ml Coca-Cola original, Coca-Cola no sugar, and Coca-Cola plus bottles now utilize 100% rPET for production, excluding caps and labels.
This shift marks the first-ever Coca-Cola trademark packaging made from 100% rPET in Hong Kong. The new bottles feature messages like “I’m a 100% rPET bottle” and “Recycle me again,” aiming to raise recycling awareness and encourage consumer action.
Tim Warwick, Vice President of Operations for Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, and Mongolia at The Coca-Cola Company, emphasized the brand’s leadership role in sustainability during an interview with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.
Warwick stated, “What we’re looking to do now with Coca-Cola, is to lead by example, and walk the talk, and then make sure that other beverage players have the pressure they need to move to 100% rPET.”
He highlighted that by creating demand for used bottles through the transition to 100% rPET, Coca-Cola aims to drive significant reductions in environmental bottle waste.
Additionally, this move aligns with The Coca-Cola Company’s World Without Waste strategy, showcasing a commitment to innovative sustainability practices.
Looking ahead, Warwick discussed the upcoming municipal solid waste charging scheme in Hong Kong, set to launch on 1 August 2024.
He sees this scheme as potentially providing Coca-Cola with additional resources of rPET, enabling the production of more 100% recycled plastic bottles across a broader product range.
To accelerate the circular economy for plastic in Hong Kong, the Coca-Cola system has partnered with Drink Without Waste, investing HK$3 million (US$0.38m) in 2024 to support a new neighborhood collection scheme.
This initiative mobilizes participating housing estates, cleaners, and resident households to foster a recycling habit and mechanism for plastic bottles.
Warwick emphasized Coca-Cola’s goal to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it produces by 2030.
The company is collaborating with industry bodies and the government to enhance education and communication, ensuring improved recycling practices across the city.
Furthermore, Coca-Cola is making significant investments in New Life Plastics, Hong Kong’s first food-grade-ready plastic recycling facility.
This facility aims to have the capacity to recycle each PET bottle sold by Coca-Cola by 2030, aligning with the brand’s ambitious World Without Waste objectives.
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