Coca-Cola has partnered with amusement park giant Merlin Entertainments to encourage recycling, offering consumers the chance to win VIP experiences in exchange for returning their empty plastic bottles.
The soft drinks brand has installed 28 reverse vending machines at 11 attractions across the UK, including Legoland Windsor, the Lego Discovery Centre in Birmingham, Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and four Sea Life aquariums.
The move to incentivise and encourage recycling is part of Coca-Cola’s ongoing efforts to reduce waste after being named the world’s top plastic polluter last year.
The competition – now in its second year – is the latest in Coca-Cola’s ongoing relationship with Merlin Entertainments, which has seen over 100,000 plastic bottles being collected via the reverse vending machines since they were first introduced in 2019.
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Any member of the public who recycles a 500ml bottle at a Merlin site between 1 July and 30 September will be in with a chance of winning the VIP prizes, which include behind-the-scenes tours and one-off experiences.
“We share Merlin’s passion for entertainment and goals for sustainability,” said Coca-Cola marketing director Elodie Peribere.
“All of our bottles are 100% recyclable, and this year we added attached caps across our portfolio to make it easier for people to recycle the whole package and help reduce littering.”
Merlin group sustainability director Dare Ilori said: “Plastic waste remains a long-term environmental issue and we are committed to raising awareness and helping establish solutions to address it.”
“As a global company, we’ll always seek to reduce our impact on the environment with clear, measurable actions. But now we also encourage our guests to respect their own environments and do the right thing for a sustainable future.”
He continued: “We are proud to partner with Coca-Cola for the second year running on this brilliant initiative and to educate our guests to reduce, return and recycle their plastic and protect our planet”.
