Coca-Cola Philippines is taking a step towards a circular economy for plastic packaging by introducing bottles made from 100% recycled PET plastic (rPET), excluding caps and labels. The rPET packaging is now available for Coca-Cola Original in 190ml and 390ml, and Wilkins Pure in 500ml, in addition to Sprite 500ml, which was introduced in 2019.

The beverage company has launched at least one brand in bottles made from 100% rPET in more than 40 countries around the world, including Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

The company's rPET bottles comply with local regulations, as well as The Coca-Cola Company's global standards for food-grade rPET packaging.

Coca-Cola Philippines has also established over 2,800 recycling drop-off points across the country, making it convenient for consumers to return their empty bottles. The initiative encourages consumers to join recycling efforts, helps small store owners grow their businesses, and helps prevent plastic waste mismanagement.

Additionally, the company's collaboration with Plastic Bank Philippines has led to the activation of 38 recyclable waste collection branches in Cavite and Laguna. Since 2021, this partnership has collected 546,000 kilograms of post-consumer bottles for recycling while also improving the livelihood of informal waste sector workers.

"Coca-Cola recognizes that the plastic waste problem in the Philippines is both urgent and complex. Therefore, it will take a collaborative effort to solve this issue. In line with our commitment to helping build a circular economy in the country, we are working to offer innovative packaging design, expand collection and recycling programs, and forge strategic alliances with stakeholders—including government agencies, industry partners, and local organizations," Coca-Cola Philippines President Tony del Rosario said.

"We will also use our brand power to engage consumers in collection and recycling initiatives and build awareness that used plastic bottles can have many lives," he added.

The company is working to increase the amount of recycled content used in its plastic packaging by building a sustainable pipeline of high-quality recycled material. Its bottling partner, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), established PETValue Philippines through a joint venture with Indorama Ventures, a chemical company that focuses on green technology and packaging solutions.

This bottle-to-bottle recycling facility started operations in October last year and is expected to recycle two billion pieces of collected post-consumer PET plastic bottles per year.

These initiatives align with The Coca-Cola Company's sustainable packaging strategy, which aims to make 100% of its packaging recyclable globally by 2025, use at least 50% recycled plastic in its packaging by 2030, collect and recycle the equivalent of every can and bottle it sells by 2030, and bring people together to support a healthy, debris-free environment.

Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo

CCBPI's plastic bottle collection network, "Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo!" has reached 170 cities and municipalities and continues to expand through partnerships with local government units, including the Province of Iloilo, Davao del Sur, and Camiguin for large-scale collection.

"At CCBPI, we always say that we are only as strong as the communities we serve. Everything we do builds on our promise to create a more sustainable future for Filipinos," shared Gareth McGeown, President and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. "We always strive to set higher standards for the industry, but more importantly for ourselves, because we know we need to do more, and you have our commitment that we will do more. We are thankful for the support of our partners in helping give our bottles many more lives."

May Ikabobote Pa: A new consumer engagement initiative

In addition to the new Coca-Cola Original and Wilkins Pure 100% rPET bottles, the company has launched "May Ikabobote Pa" , a new consumer engagement initiative to inform and engage consumers in recycling their empty plastic bottles.

"May Ikabobote Pa" will include the following activities to inspire action from consumers and like-minded organizations:

● New rPET labels: Coca-Cola and Wilkins Pure bottles made from 100% food-grade rPET, excluding caps and labels, now have a call to action "Recycle Me Again" message on their labels. A QR code that will lead to information about the company's recycling program is also included on each label.

● Enhanced consumer recycling experiences: Engaging activities on recycling will be featured at Coca-Cola's on-ground events.

● Digital-led communications for consumers: Coca-Cola Philippines will partner with groups and community leaders to co-create educational content for a wide audience and advocate for sustainable practices.

● Partnership with 7-Eleven and Shell: The company is partnering with 7-Eleven stores and Shell stations to create programs that make recycling convenient and rewarding for consumers.

These activities are meant to bring people together and remind consumers about the importance of recycling their empty plastic bottles because #MayIkabobotePa (Bottles can have many lives).

Tapon to Reborn: Coca-Cola Philippines employee engagement program

In line with Coca-Cola's global commitment to sustainability, Coca-Cola Philippines has launched an employee engagement program, "Tapon to Reborn", to help encourage and enable its employees nationwide to become active participants in helping address the plastic waste problem in the country.

"Tapon to Reborn" (Throw to Reborn) encourages employees to collect, segregate, and bring their empty PET bottles, cans, and beverage cartons to the office for recycling. The bottles are then sent to partner recycling facilities, including the CCBPI-supported PETValue PET bottle recycling plant, where they may become new bottles.

The initiative aims to collect and sell 500 kilograms of PET bottles and cans. The proceeds of the collection will be used to support reforestation efforts in the Lagadlarin Mangrove Forest and Sierra Madre Forest.

For more information on the sustainability initiatives of Coca-Cola Philippines, visit the Coca- Cola Sustainability Hub website, follow the company’s social media channels: @CocaColaPhilippines on Facebook, @cocacolaph on Twitter, and Instagram.