Jakarta – Beverage giant Coca-Cola Indonesia is rolling out a 'Recycle Me' message on its package labels across all its brands and products, as the company seeks to create a World Without Waste, according to a press statement.
The message aims to nudge consumers to recycle their used PET plastic bottles or aluminum cans once they finish their drinks.
"Like most people, we don't want to see beverage packaging end up as litter. PET plastic packaging has a lot of value, and the containers can be recycled and turned into new packaging or other items of value," Triyono Prijosoesilo, the Director of Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability at PT Coca-Cola Indonesia, said in a recent statement.
Engaging consumers around the importance of packaging collection and recycling is in line with the company's goal to create a World Without Waste.
Earlier, Coca-Cola pledged to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sell globally by 2030.
The company also seeks to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable by 2025 and use at least 50 percent recycled material in its packaging by 2030.
"All our bottles and cans are recyclable by design. In addition to driving collection and recycling infrastructure, we want to use the power of our brands to encourage more people to recycle and help give our packages another life," Triyono said.
"This means once you have enjoyed the drink, please help to collect and recycle the bottle," he added.
To this end, Coca-Cola Indonesia is teaming up with waste management start-up Waste4Change as the local collection partner in the Recycle Me program.
Consumers can send six used PET plastic bottles or six cans from any Coca-Cola beverage products or brands to Jakarta's 16 available waste banks.
The first 1,000 consumers participating in the program can enjoy a subsidy for a delivery fee of up to Rp 25,000 ($1.76).
In return, consumers can earn reward points redeemable for mobile credit, electricity credit, and e-wallet worth up to Rp 25.000 at the available merchants.
This 'Recycle-Me' message is not only limited to Indonesia but will also apply to Coca-Cola products in the ASEAN. Coca-Cola expects the transition for most of the company's packaging to be completed by the end of this year. Coca-Cola's soft drink brand SPRITE has also shifted from its iconic green packaging to the recyclable clear plastic PET bottles.
Led by its bottling partner Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, the Coca-Cola system in Indonesia will also launch a PET plastic recycling facility in a joint venture with packing firm Dynapack Asia.
The facility will become Indonesia's largest bottle-to-bottle (rPET) recycling plant. It is expected to be fully operational in 2022 with a capacity of 15,000 tons.