Coca-Cola has introduced 1-liter PET plastic bottles that are 100% recyclable, joining the fight against Thailand’s plastic waste epidemic.
PET plastic bottles will be available in both Original Taste and Zero Sugar varieties; however, the amount of plastic trash generated will only be decreased if these bottles are disposed of and recycled properly.
Sarut Wittayarungruangsri, director of public affairs, communications, and sustainability at Coca-Cola Thailand, said, “We recognize the urgency and complexity of the plastic waste challenge in Thailand, and we know it will take a collaborative effort to solve this issue.”
A recent World Bank research that indicated that Thailand improperly manages an estimated 428 000 tonnes of plastic garbage annually brought this issue into sharp relief.
According to a different World Bank report, in 2018 just 17.6% of important plastic polymers, such PET, were recycled.
Greenpeace has singled out two companies, Coca-Cola and CP, as some of the worst offenders for plastic pollution in Thailand.
To encourage Thai consumers to recognize and separate recyclable packaging from non-recyclable rubbish, Coca-Cola (Thailand) introduced the “Coke Recycle Me with Trash Lucky” promotion with 2 million baht in prizes per month.
This year, the effort is anticipated to gather one million PET bottles.
At 69 drop-off locations across the country, including 64 in Bangkok and five in Phuket, Sarut welcomed customers to dispose of their empty bottles.
Post-consumer recycled PET is converted into high-quality recycled plastic pellets that fulfill European, Thai, and US food safety regulations, according to Natthanun Sirirak, general director of recycler Envicco Ltd.
By 2025, Coca-Cola wants all of its packaging to be internationally recyclable, and by 2030, it wants to utilize at least 50% recycled plastic in its packaging.
In more than 40 nations worldwide, it presently sells at least one brand made entirely from recycled PET bottles (caps and labels excluded).
ThaiNamthip Corp, HaadThip Plc, and Coca-Cola (Thailand) Ltd make up the Thai Coca-Cola system.
READ MORE https://www.coca-cola.com/th/th
