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You are here: CIWM  >  Publications  >  Latest News  >  Coca-Cola Announces State-Of-The-Art Recycling Facility

Coca-Cola Announces State-Of-The-Art Recycling Facility

07 February 2011

Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) today announced the development of a new purpose-built recycling facility in Lincolnshire, which also represents an important milestone in its ongoing work to develop the most sustainable packaging possible. The deal, which is a joint venture between CCE and ECO Plastics promises to herald a step change in the Great Britain plastic reprocessing industry. CCE has reportedly invested £5 million in the new plant, which once fully operational will increase PET bottles recycling from 35,000 tonnes to more than 75,000 tonnes, more than doubling the amount of high-quality rPET currently produced in Great Britain.

With the state-of-the-art plastics reprocessing plant equipped to supply CCE with enough GB sourced, high-quality rPET, the move is seen to be in line with CCE's corporate responsibility and sustainability (CRS) target of including 25% rPET in all its plastic packaging in Great Britain by 2012.

Simon Baldry, managing director, CCE GB, commented: "CCE is committed to transforming recycling in Great Britain. Our investment in this project with ECO Plastics will start to address the recycling challenges in this country. British PET bottles will be recycled for re-use in packaging that will be sold from the shelves of British retailers.

"The amounts of high rPET produced in GB will more than double, enabling CCE to meet our ambitious target of incorporating 25% rPET in all our plastic bottles by 2012. At the same time, we are working with our customers to encourage shoppers to recycle more as part of our wider sustainability efforts."

The joint venture deal with ECO Plastics is signed for 10 years, with CCE contributing £5 million towards equity investment to support construction of the new facility, and ECO Plastics raising an additional £10 million to complete funding for the project.

Furthermore, ECO Plastics' current site in Lincolnshire is chosen as the location for building the facility, creating 15 jobs during the construction phase and up to 30 new jobs once the site is operational.

Jonathan Short, managing director, ECO Plastics, said: "ECO Plastics has made huge strides in developing our business in recent years, to become the UK's leading plastic recycler. We are delighted to be partnering with a company of the calibre of Coca-Cola Enterprises and view this pioneering agreement as the next important step for our own business and the industry as a whole."

Commenting on the current trend in the UK plastic recycling scene he added: "Demand for sustainable packaging in the UK has gathered pace in recent years, whilst the UK supply of recycled plastics has grown significantly. Coca-Cola Enterprises has recognized these trends and has taken positive action that will help accelerate UK plastics recycling. This is the 'low carbon economy' in practice."

Lord Henley, Defra waste minister speaking of the joint venture called Coca-Cola and ECO Plastics' efforts "an innovative blueprint for the future" that sets an example for other producers to take responsibility "to step up to this challenge."

Krishna Buddhiraju