Coca-Cola plans to recover all of its clear PET plastic from 2012 Olympic Games in London, send it for recycling to a new facility in North Lincolnshire, England, that it is opening next year in collaboration with Eco Plastics

Bdebbie Garcia

LOS ANGELES , November 10, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) – All of Coca-Cola Co.’s clear polyethylene terephthalate plastic will be recovered from the 2012 Olympic Games in London under a program the Atlanta, Georgia-based company announced today, reported GreenWise on Nov. 9.

The London games aim to be the greenest of any Olympics ever, with the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) aiming for zero waste going to landfill, said Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola will send the collected PET from the games to a new Continuum Recycling plant in North Lincolnshire, England, that will open next year and increase the U.K.’s output of food-grade recycled PET to 75,000 tonnes in 2012 from 35,000 tonnes in 2010.

The new recycling center represents a collaboration of Coca-Cola with PET recycler Eco Plastics Ltd. Recently, Coca-Cola put 260 recycling bins around central London, GreenWise reported.

Before the closing ceremony alone, 80 million new Coke bottles will be produced, according to Coca-Cola’s estimates. The PET is expected to account for 20% of all consumer scrap generated throughout the Olympic Games.

A simple waste system for the games is being designed by Coca-Cola with help from the Waste & Resources Action Plan. The system could become a model for major sporting events, reported GreenWise.

At the London 2012 events, Coca-Cola intends to sell its products in 100% recyclable plastic bottles and has pledged to package its brand drinks in PlantBottle packaging, which is made from 22.5% plant-based material and 25% recycled content.

Meanwhile, the company also aims to shrink its distribution carbon footprint by one-third with a Voltaic Warehouse, use of HFC-free coolers with LED lighting and doors at Olympic and Paralympic venues.

In addition, Coca-Cola will use 14 trucks that run on biogas to deliver its products during and after the games, GreenWise reported.

The primary source of this article is GreenWise, London, England, on Nov. 9, 2011.

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