Coca-Cola recycles in Romania
The licensed bottler of the Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola HBC, has opened its own PET recycling plant in Ploiesti, Romania.
Around 11 million euros are said to have been invested in the construction of the PET recycling plant with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons. According to Coca-Cola HBC, the recyclate produced there is used to manufacture PET preforms, which in turn are used to produce new bottles using the stretch blow molding process. The beverages bottled in Ploiesti are primarily intended for the national Romanian market, but are also exported to 15 other European countries. The brand's PET bottles are now to be converted to 100% recyclate in Romania. In addition, a deposit-based take-back system would soon be introduced to return additional quantities for recycling. According to Coca-Cola HBC, 22% of the company's PET used on the EU and Swiss markets were made from recyclate in 2022. With the investment in Romania and the switch to recycled bottles in the Swiss, Austrian, Italian, Irish and Northern Irish markets, an r-PET share of almost 50 percent will be achieved by the end of this year, it says. According to Coca-Cola HBC, the Romanian plant is now its third PET recycling plant in Europe. The beverage bottling partner of the Coca-Cola Company, based in Steinhausen, Switzerland, says it is active in 28 countries.
Sources:
- Kunststoff Information (Nov. 9, 2023)
- Photo: © Coca-Cola