Coca Cola Hong Kong launches interactive recycling education program for schools

Hong Kong's Coca-Cola Recycling Academy, launched today, aims to make the city's recycling journey more visible and accessible to its residents. The initiative, a collaboration between Coca-Cola Hong Kong and its bottling partner Swire Coca-Cola HK, will introduce a free interactive educational resource package for secondary schools.

Through gamified learning, teaching materials, guided tours and community activities, the program seeks to educate students and the public about the recycling process, the importance of proper waste management and how individual actions contribute to reducing packaging waste.

The launch comes in response to a recent consumer recycling awareness survey conducted by Coca-Cola Hong Kong, which revealed that 69.4% of respondents try to recycle beverage bottles and cans, yet 21.7% were concerned that recyclables might not be properly processed and end up in landfills. Furthermore, 21.5% of participants were unaware that Hong Kong has facilities capable of processing collected plastic bottles into recycled plastic material, which is then used to produce new ones locally.

After learning about this capability, 81.7% of those surveyed said they would be more willing to participate in plastic beverage bottle recycling.

Coca-Cola Hong Kong's General Manager, Iris Lee, emphasized that advancing sustainability is a continuous journey that requires collective action. The company has been working on innovating product packaging, supporting local recycling infrastructure and collaborating on public education to develop Hong Kong's recycling system. Coca-Cola Hong Kong became the first in Hong Kong to recycle plastic bottles into new ones using in-house facilities last year.

The Recycling Academy builds on this progress by helping people understand what happens after the recycling bin, ultimately turning knowledge into practical, everyday action.

Swire Coca-Cola HK's Acting General Manager, Lily Chu, noted that Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan aims to build a green and liveable city while transforming waste into resources. The company's ongoing commitment to promoting circular economy and recycling education aligns with this vision. The launch of the Recycling Academy supports the development of a circular economy in Hong Kong, demonstrating that a used bottle does not mark the end of a resource's journey.

When bottles are properly collected, sorted and processed, their material can be given a new life, encouraging more people to recognize the value of recyclable materials and integrate proper recycling into their daily lives.