Coca-Cola HK launches recycling academy to drive circular economy

Coca-Cola Hong Kong has unveiled the “Coca-Cola Recycling Academy,” a new educational initiative designed to make the city's local recycling process more visible, accessible, and relevant to everyday life.

The launch follows findings from Coca-Cola Hong Kong’s latest consumer recycling awareness survey. More than 80% of respondents said they would be more willing to recycle plastic beverage bottles after learning that Hong Kong has facilities capable of processing collected plastic beverage bottles into recycled plastics materials, which are then, after being further processed, used to produce new ones locally.

Responding to the public’s interest in clearer and more accessible recycling information, the academy will introduce a free interactive educational resource package for secondary schools. The new academy is designed to help people better understand how plastic beverage bottles are recycled and processed into recycled plastics materials in Hong Kong, which are then, after being further processed, used to produce new ones locally.

At the core of the initiative is a free, 10-hour educational package designed for secondary schools, created alongside local recycling firm The Loops Hong Kong and gamified content developer Gamenoodlesoup (遊戲湯麵). The curriculum combines interactive digital learning with field visits to New Life Plastics and the Hong Kong Coca-Cola Museum, helping younger generations master proper waste sorting and understand the broader mechanics of a circular economy.

To extend recycling education beyond schools, the academy will work with community partners to introduce its gamified learning platform and educational resources in community settings. The resources will be made available to the public free of charge, enabling more people to explore local recycling processes in an accessible and engaging way.

To give members of the public a closer look at recycling in practice in Hong Kong, the brand's bottling partner Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong has partnered with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Community Engagement Programme to present a limited-time interactive experience, the “Bottle-to-bottle guided tour”.

Combining theatrical performance with an educational guided-tour format, the experience brings Coca-Cola’s history, local beverage production and packaging journey to life at the Hong Kong Coca-Cola Museum. Through live interaction with performers, participants will witness the “Bottle-to-Bottle” journey by learning how 100% locally recycled plastic (rPET) materials are used to produce new bottles for Coca-Cola’s beverage products in the plant.

The first two “Bottle-to-Bottle guided tours” will take place on 28 November, accompanied by a special sustainability workshop. COKE+ members may redeem admission tickets with their Reward Stars on the COKE+ app.

As a limited-time, experience-based initiative, places are limited and the “Bottle-to-Bottle Guided Tours” is not part of the Museum’s regular tour offering. Additional sessions will be introduced periodically to give more members of the public an opportunity to understand the local recycling journey and learn about proper recycling practices.

Iris Lee, general manager, Hong Kong and Macau, The Coca-Cola Company, said: “Advancing sustainability is a continuous journey that requires collective action. Over the years, we have worked to innovate our product packaging, support the development of local recycling infrastructure and collaborate with partners on public education, contributing to the development of Hong Kong’s recycling system.

“Last year, Coca-Cola Hong Kong became the first in Hong Kong in recycling plastic bottles to create new ones using our own facilities. The launch of the ‘Coca-Cola Recycling academy’ builds on this ‘bottle-to-bottle’ progress by helping people see and understand what happens beyond the recycling bin. Together with schools, the recycling sector and community partners, we aim to make recycling easier and help turn knowledge into practical, everyday action.”

Lily Chu, acting general manager, Swire Coca-Cola HK, said: “Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan sets out the vision of building a green and liveable city and advancing the transformation of waste into resources. This direction closely aligns with Swire Coca-Cola HK’s ongoing work in promoting circular economy and recycling education. We continue to integrate sustainability into our packaging design and operations. Through our investment in New Life Plastics Limited, we also support the development of local infrastructure for processing food-grade-ready plastics.

“A used bottle does not have to mark the end of the journey for our resources. When bottles are properly collected, sorted and processed, their material can have another life. Through the ‘Coca-Cola Recycling academy’, we want to make this journey easier to understand, help more people recognize the value of recyclable materials and encourage proper recycling as a practical part of everyday life, as a way to support the development of a circular economy in Hong Kong.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Coca-Cola HK for more information. 

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