Eastern Cape trials Coke bottle return system

Posted by Gabrielle Jacobs on 6 February 2020

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) has launched a pilot project in the Eastern Cape which allows consumers to return their two-litre PET plastic Coke bottles, and receive money back as a ‘deposit’ for their next bottle of Coke.

Image: Coca-Cola Africa

According to the CCBSA, these polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles can be reused up to 14 times before they can be recycled again, which can cut down on plastic production and consumption, save you some money and even the planet.

This initiative forms part of World Without Waste, a larger project from the Coca-Cola Company which aims to collect and recycle a Coke bottle or can for every one it produces by 2030.

Also read: An easy guide to recycling

The pilot scheme is being tested in the Eastern Cape in the Mandela Bay and Border-Kei districts, and will be rolled out throughout South Africa if successful. The bottles that qualify for the deposit return system are identifiable by a green strip at the bottom of its plastic label which reads ‘returnable’. This includes Coca-Cola Beverages and other soft drink brands like Fanta and Sprite.

This system would much the same way as when you return glass bottles or 1,5-litre plastic bottles to a vendor and get some money back. Given the average cost of a two-litre Coke bottle at the moment, consumers of the popular fizzy drink will get R7 back and essentially save as much when they purchase their next bottle for only R15.

Also read:

Cape Town to phase out single-use plastic

Adidas makes school field out of plastic bottles

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