Coca-Cola Amatil and Veolia have signed a Heads of Agreement to explore opportunities for a recycled plastic processing plant in Australia.
The plant would focus on recycling PET, which is used in plastic bottles; Coca-Cola Amatil will make seven out of every 10 bottles in Australia from 100 per cent recycled PET (rPET) by year’s end.
The two companies have established a joint project team to consider a potential facility’s economic feasibility, size, scale, location, end-to-end requirements, and potential integration into each company’s respective company’s value chain. The team will make use of CCA’s and Veolia’s expertise and experience in respective parts of the production and recycling process.
Danny Conlon, CEO and managing director of Veolia Australia and New Zealand, said a recommendation is expected in the short to medium term.
“We’re delighted to be working with our Amatil colleagues on this important initiative. It comes at a critical time for Australia where we need to be doing more to resolve ongoing issues around plastics and their potential to be recycled. I look forward to future announcements on circular economy solutions,” he said.
In October, Amatil was announced as a finalist in the 2019 Waste Management and Resource Recovery Awards for creating carbonated soft drink bottles made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. The company says its use of recycled materials has cut its annual virgin plastics use in Australia by around 16,000 tonnes.
