‘Tapon to Ipon’ encourages collection, recycling of plastic bottles during fests

Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI)—the bottling arm of the company in the country—activated Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo! pop-up booths in Cebu and Iloilo and collected over 400 kg of post-consumer clear PET plastic bottles, toward helping hold waste-free festival celebrations.

Tapon to Ipon is CCBPI’s nationwide collection program for post-consumer PET plastic bottles, with bottles from any brand accepted as long as they are clear. The company deployed pop-up booths at the Sinulog and Dinagyang Festivals, kicking off the nation’s fiesta circuit along with a new phase of the campaign to raise awareness of the value of used clear PET plastic bottles and recycling.

“We maximize every opportunity to bring Tapon to Ipon to more communities across the Philippines. We bring our Tapon to Ipon program where we can and integrate them with our selling activities. As our consumers enjoy our refreshing beverages and celebrate with their family and friends, we make it possible for them to return their used plastic bottles for recycling,” said Gareth McGeown, CEO and President of CCBPI.

CCBPI highlights the value of clear PET plastic bottles: Through Tapon to Ipon, consumers can drop off (tapon) their used clear PET plastic bottles of any brand and get incentives in return (ipon). To further incentivize the public to participate at the fiesta pop-up booths, participants received Coca-Cola products for every fifteen clear used PET bottles.

McGeown adds, “The support of festival-goers, community members, and our partners are at the core of this program as we continue to strengthen a fully circular economy for our packaging and work toward our World Without Waste goal.”

PETValue Philippines as end-destination for collected bottles

Tapon to Ipon is anchored on Coca-Cola’s global World Without Waste commitment—to collect and recycle the equivalent of every single bottle and can that the company sells by 2030. CCBPI forges partnerships with government and private partners such as local government units and agencies, private organizations, and MSMEs to collect clear PET plastic bottles across the country and divert them for recycling at PETValue Philippines .

PETValue Philippines—CCBPI’s pioneering recycling bottle-to-bottle recycling facility—is now 100% operational in General Trias, Cavite. With the capacity to process approximately 2B pieces of clear plastic bottles made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material, Coca-Cola aims to create a truly circular economy for recyclable plastic bottles.

PETValue Philippines is a joint venture between CCBPI and Indorama Ventures, a global sustainable chemicals company. The recycling facility employs the safest and most advanced bottle-to-bottle recycling technology that gives new life to clear PET bottles. Through programs like Tapon to Ipon , Coca-Cola aims to establish a robust collection network for recyclable plastic bottles across the country by working closely with partners in government and the private sector.