‘Tapon to Ipon’ drive boosts PET recycling

Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines’ (CCBP) “Tapon to Ipon” program received the ESG Initiative of the Year - Philippines award at the FMCG Asia Awards (FFA) 2024 last 14 November in Singapore.

The recognition highlights the program’s success in promoting environmental sustainability and community engagement through the collection and recycling of clear PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles.

CCBP launched the nationwide initiative in 2021 to encourage consumers to discard used clear PET bottles at designated collection points, such as pop-up booths during festivals, like the Sinulog and Dinagyang, local stores and receive Coca-Cola products as rewards.

The collected bottles are sent to PETValue Philippines, a pioneering bottle-to-bottle recycling facility in General Trias, Cavite, where they are transformed into new food-grade beverage packaging.

The award underscores CCBP’s commitment to environmental stewardship and its efforts to empower communities in sustainable practices. Coca-Cola’s global “World Without Waste” commitment also aims to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle and can sold by 2030.

The program’s success is attributed to partnerships with provinces like Davao del Sur, Iloilo and Camiguin.

The annual FFA is organized by Retail Asia, a leading industry magazine serving Asia’s dynamic retail sector or fast-moving consumer goods industry. The latest awarding was held at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Center.