Coca-Cola, MMDA partner to boost PET bottle collection, recycling

A WASTE recovery and recycling campaign kicked off across the country’s capital region as part of a significant partnership between Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. (CCBPI), the local bottler of the global beverage brand, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

This partnership seamlessly integrates CCBPI’s Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo! Program with MMDA’s Mobile Material Recovery Facility (MMRF) project tagged “Recyclable Mo, Palit Grocery Ko” where community members can exchange various recyclable materials for commodities or grocery items within a four-month pilot period.

MMDA’s MMRF program now serves as a collection channel for used clear PET bottles of any brand, as well as Coca-Cola returnable glass bottles and crates, which are equivalent to points that participants can exchange for Coca-Cola products.

Bringing communities together to foster strong collective action, the partnership also launches the Tapon to Ipon: Barangay Contest in over 20 pilot areas, which will award the top three barangays that have the highest collected volume of clear PET bottles, Coca-Cola glass bottles, and crates.

The prizes for the winning barangays will be used to fund and develop their own sustainability initiatives focused on waste recovery and recycling.

“Our partnership with MMDA enables us to reach more barangays and households, as our ultimate goal is to leave a lasting positive impact on the solid waste management systems currently available to communities,” said lawyer Juan Lorenzo Tañada, vice president for Corporate and Regulatory Affairs of CCBPI.

Tañada noted: “This collaboration is a first for CCBPI, and we are truly grateful and excited to be working with MMDA, with whom we share common goals for sustainability, proper waste management, and creating a circular economy.”

As CCBPI’s nationwide collection program for post-consumer clear PET plastic bottles, the Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo! initiative seeks to make recycling infrastructure more accessible to communities. Facilitating a crucial step to close the loop for recyclable packaging, it aims to bring all collected PET bottles to PETValue Philippines— the country’s pioneering bottle-to-bottle recycling facility that turns post-consumer clear PET bottles into new food-grade recycled PET (rPET) bottles.

The facility is a joint venture between CCBPI and Indorama Ventures, a global sustainable chemical company.

The kick-off of the MMRF collection drive and the barangay contest under Tapon to Ipon mark the activation of the memorandum of agreement signed by CCBPI and MMDA.

This agreement joins major sustainability and waste management projects of both organizations to expand their reach, enhance public engagement, and, crucially, foster greater awareness of the value of recyclable materials.

Tañada represented CCBPI and led the signing with lawyer Romando Artes, acting chairman of the MMDA.

Artes hailed the program for its expected contribution to strengthening segregation practices and increasing waste diversion rates within Metro Manila.

“We are driven to bring our communities together for the environment as we continue to promote a greener and cleaner Metro Manila. The MMRF and Tapon to Ipon programs prove that collaborative efforts are crucial to diverting waste materials from waterways and helping mitigate city flooding in neighborhoods. We are excited to drive this partnership further with Coca-Cola,” Artes said.

By partnering with key government agencies like the MMDA and engaging directly with Filipinos to harness the transformative power of united communities, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. aims to sustain a culture of recycling and environmental responsibility — and deliver on the collective commitment to ensure a greener, more sustainable Philippines for generations to come. (PR)