MANILA - Coca-Cola Philippines Inc said it would invest in a P1-billion food-grade recycling facility to help boost sustainability efforts in the country.

The project, which aims to collect, sort, clean and wash PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, is Coca-Cola's first major investment in a recycling facility in Southeast Asia, Coca-Cola Philippines said in a statement.

"Coca-Cola has called the Philippines its home for 107 years and counting, and we want to do our part in ensuring sustainability within its shores," Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc president and CEO Gareth McGeown said.

Once completed, it is expected to improve PET collection and recycling rates in the Philippines and generate more jobs, Coca-Cola said.

The project is part of the company's "World Without Waste" global commitment, which aims to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle and can it sells by 2030, the beverage maker said.

All cans and bottles of Coca-Cola is "100 percent recyclable" and have value as a recycled material, McGeown said.

Coca-Cola said it plans to use an average of 50 percent recycled content in its packaging, including PET bottles.