Coca-Cola Philippines to phase out unrecyclable sachets by 2022

Beverages giant Coca-Cola Philippines on Tuesday announced plans to make its operations in the country sustainable as part of its “World Without Waste” initiative.

In a statement, the company said that it will be phasing out the use of unrecyclable sachets from its packaging portfolio in the Philippines by 2022.

This, as Coca-Cola Philippines is committing to use more recycled content in its line-up in the Philippines starting  next year and beyond, as it expands the number of products that use 100% recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in its packaging.

The company added it is also introducing paper straws for its juice and dairy products.

With the initiatives, Coca-Cola Philippines said that it will be fast-tracking the achievement of its commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025.

Currently, all the company said its bottles and cans are recyclable by design.

It added that its business in the country remains to be in refillable glass bottles. 

The company said it has also been light-weighting its recyclable (PET) plastic packaging, which has resulted in the removal of approximately 10,000 metric tons of new or virgin plastic materials from its packaging.

In 2018, the Coca-Cola Company launched the “World Without Waste” initiative, which aims to make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025; and to use at least 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030.

Over the last three years, the company said it has rolled out packaging innovations and partnerships in the Philippines towards the global “World Without Waste” goals including the following:

• Launching the first beverage brand in the Philippines to be made from 100% recycled plastic – with Viva! Mineralized Water followed by Sprite 500ml plastic bottles also made from 100% recycled plastic
• Changing Sprite bottles in the Philippines and other parts of the world from green to clear plastic to make the bottles easier to recycle into something new. Clear plastic bottles are more likely to be collected and recycled compared to colored plastic bottles
• Supporting packaging collection initiatives and working together with other industry partners, recyclers, government agencies and NGOs to accelerate a closed loop economy in the Philippines. This includes investing in the largest, state-of-the-art bottle-to-bottle recycling facility in the Philippines, allowing recyclable plastic bottles to be used again and again. 
• Launching more than 40 grassroots partnerships to support the informal collection sector, helping to improve working conditions, health and safety, job stability and income. With support from the Coca-Cola Foundation in the Philippines, these programs are now operational across 36 cities and municipalities.

Bottle recycling facility

Coca-Cola Philippines also announced today that PETValue Philippines —the country’s first food grade bottle-to-bottle recycling facility— is set to be operational in the first quarter of 2022.

The P2.28-billion multi-phased joint venture investment between bottling arm Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. (CCBPI) and Indorama Ventures, a global leader in green technology and packaging solutions, will significantly expand domestic recycling capabilities and accelerate the development of a circular economy for recyclable PET plastic bottles in the Philippines.

The facility’s operations will also generate around 200 direct jobs for Filipinos, according to Coca-Cola Philippines.

In 2020, the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI), an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, granted “Pioneer Technology Status” to PETValue for its eight-step green technology process for post-consumer PET plastic bottles, which include flaking, washing, extruding and pelletizing, and solid state polycondensation or super-cleaning and decontamination.

PETValue’s projected capacity is approximately 30,000 metric tons of post-consumer PET plastic bottles, equivalent to around two billion pieces of plastic bottles.

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we did not lose sight of our environmental targets and our commitment to making impactful investments. We are very excited about PETValue and how it will positively influence and affect the country—from making sure that our packaging doesn’t end up as waste, to the jobs it will generate for Filipinos,” said Gareth McGeown, CEO and president of CCBPI.

“We are certain that its effect will contribute to both the economic recovery of the Philippines and its goals for responsible environmental stewardship,” he said.—LDF, GMA News