Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) Australia is strengthening its commitment to a circular economy for beverage containers with the roll out of consumer-facing Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) at its major production sites across the country.
The first RVM was officially opened earlier on 6 November in partnership with Return-It –the east zone network operator for Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme (CDS VIC) – at CCEP’s Moorabbin production site.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to make recycling more visible and accessible for both employees and local communities, while reinforcing CCEP’s long-standing support for container deposit schemes around Australia.
“Coca-Cola has been proudly made in Moorabbin for more than 65 years. Now, with the installation of this Reverse Vending Machine, our consumers can return their containers for recycling right where their favourite drinks are produced,” said Orlando Rodriguez, Managing Director – Australia at CCEP.
“Container deposit schemes provide valuable opportunities for Australians to recycle beverage containers. With schemes now established and operating in every state and territory, our focus is on working together with government, industry and the community, to supercharge recycling rates.”
CCEP has played a key role in co-founding and expanding container deposit schemes across Australia for nearly 50 years, including Victoria’s, which celebrates its second anniversary this month and has collected more than 2 billion containers since launch.
In addition to the collection point in Moorabbin, CCEP aims to roll out RVMs at other production sites nationally.
“The initiative reflects our long-standing support for Australia’s container deposit schemes and our commitment to investing in local recycling infrastructure that helps keep beverage containers out of the environment and landfill – so they can be captured, recycled and re-used as part of a closed loop,” Mr Rodriguez said.
Together with Pact Group, Cleanaway, and Asahi Beverages, CCEP is part of the Circular Plastics Australia (PET) joint venture that has established two, state-of-the-art PET recycling facilities in Australia in recent years. Located in Altona North (VIC) and Albury (NSW), the sites can process the equivalent of up to 2 billion 600ml PET bottles annually (excluding caps and labels).
