HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 October 2026 – Coca-Cola Hong Kong, represented by The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partner Swire Coca-Cola HK, today launched the "Coca-Cola Recycling Academy", a new education initiative designed to make Hong Kong's local recycling journey more visible, accessible and relevant to everyday life.
Government representatives, community leaders and members of the recycling and education sectors joined the ceremony, marking the beginning of this initiative that connects classroom learning, community engagement and the consumer experience of local recycling.
The launch follows findings from Coca-Cola Hong Kong's latest consumer recycling awareness survey. More than 80% of respondents said they would be more willing to recycle plastic beverage bottles after learning that Hong Kong has facilities capable of processing collected plastic beverage bottles into recycled plastics materials, which are then, after being further processed, used to produce new ones locally.
Responding to the public's interest in clearer and more accessible recycling information, the Academy will introduce a free interactive educational resource package for secondary schools. Through a gamified learning platform, supporting teaching materials, guided tours and community activities, the initiative aims to help students and members of the public better understand what happens after a bottle is collected, why proper recycling matters and how individual actions can help reduce packaging waste.
Iris Lee, General Manager, Hong Kong and Macau, The Coca-Cola Company, said: "Advancing sustainability is a continuous journey that requires collective action. Over the years, we have worked to innovate our product packaging, support the development of local recycling infrastructure and collaborate with partners on public education, contributing to the development of Hong Kong's recycling system.
"Last year, Coca-Cola Hong Kong became the first in Hong Kong in recycling plastic bottles to create new ones using our own facilities. The launch of the 'Coca-Cola Recycling Academy' builds on this 'bottle-to-bottle' progress by helping people see and understand what happens beyond the recycling bin. Together with schools, the recycling sector and community partners, we aim to make recycling easier and help turn knowledge into practical, everyday action."
Lily Chu, Acting General Manager, Swire Coca-Cola HK, said: "Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan sets out the vision of building a green and liveable city and advancing the transformation of waste into resources. This direction closely aligns with Swire Coca-Cola HK's ongoing work in promoting circular economy and recycling education. We continue to integrate sustainability into our packaging design and operations. Through our investment in New Life Plastics Limited, we also support the development of local infrastructure for processing food-grade-ready plastics.
"A used bottle does not have to mark the end of the journey for our resources. When bottles are properly collected, sorted and processed, their material can have another life. Through the 'Coca-Cola Recycling Academy', we want to make this journey easier to understand, help more people recognize the value of recyclable materials and encourage proper recycling as a practical part of everyday life, as a way to support the development of a circular economy in Hong Kong."
Survey Indicates Greater Visibility Could Strengthen Willingness to Recycle
In September 2026, Coca-Cola Hong Kong conducted an online recycling awareness survey* through COKE+®, The Coca-Cola Company's loyalty program. A total of 5,492 consumers responded to questions about their recycling habits, their awareness of what happens after recyclables are collected, and their expectations for more transparent recycling information.
The survey found that:
- 69.4% of respondents said they try to recycle beverage bottles and cans whenever possible;
- however, 21.7% were concerned that recyclables might not be properly processed and could ultimately end up in landfills;
- 21.5% were unaware that Hong Kong has facilities capable of processing collected plastic bottles into recycled plastic; and
- after learning about this local recycling capability, 81.7% said they would be more willing to participate in plastic beverage bottle recycling.
Respondents who were aware of Hong Kong's local plastic bottle recycling facilities were also more than 20% more likely to report that they had increased their recycling activity over the previous year than respondents who were unaware of these facilities. This highlights a clear connection between transparent and credible information about what happens after collection and more active recycling behavior.
"Coca-Cola Recycling Academy": Showing What Happens Beyond the Recycling Bin
The "Coca-Cola Recycling Academy" is designed to help people better understand how plastic beverage bottles are recycled and processed into recycled plastics materials in Hong Kong, which are then, after being further processed, used to produce new ones locally.
The Academy also goes beyond reminding people to recycle. It brings greater visibility to the less familiar "second half" of the recycling journey, helping students and the wider community understand how proper collection, sorting and processing work together. By connecting sustainability with everyday choices, the program also aims to make recycling easier, particularly for younger generations.
Three Key Pillars of the "Coca-Cola Recycling Academy"
- "Coca-Cola Recycling Academy" School Pilot Program
The Academy's school pilot program will provide participating secondary schools with a free, 10-hour interactive educational resource package. The teaching content has been developed and reviewed by The Loops Hong Kong, a local one-stop recycling center, drawing on its observations of recycling practices in Hong Kong. Digital learning content developer Gamenoodlesoup (遊戲湯麵) was commissioned to design and produce the gamified learning platform and supporting educational resources.
By adopting an interactive and game-based learning approach, the package will help students:
- learn how to prepare and sort recyclable materials properly;
- understand key recycling concepts; and
- recognize the connection between individual choices and the wider recycling system.
- Community Engagement
- COKE+® x Hong Kong Coca-Cola Museum "Collect Stars, Redeem a Guided Tour"
To give members of the public a closer look at recycling in practice in Hong Kong, Swire Coca-Cola HK has partnered with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Community Engagement Programme to present a limited-time interactive experience, the "Bottle-to-Bottle Guided Tour".
Combining theatrical performance with an educational guided-tour format, the experience brings Coca-Cola's history, local beverage production and packaging journey to life at the Hong Kong Coca-Cola Museum. Through live interaction with performers, participants will witness the "Bottle-to-Bottle" journey by learning how 100% locally recycled plastic (rPET) materials are used to produce new bottles for Coca-Cola's beverage products in the plant.
The first two "Bottle-to-Bottle Guided Tours" will take place on November 28, accompanied by a special sustainability workshop. COKE+® members may redeem admission tickets with their Reward Stars on the COKE+® app. As a limited-time, experience-based initiative, places are limited and the "Bottle-to-Bottle Guided Tours" is not part of the Museum's regular tour offering. Additional sessions will be introduced periodically to give more members of the public an opportunity to understand the local recycling journey and learn about proper recycling practices.
First COKE+® x Hong Kong Coca-Cola Museum "Bottle-to-Bottle Guided Tour" Date: November 28, 2026 (Saturday)
10:30 am and 1:00 pm
Capacity: 30 participants per session
Redemption Requirement: 5,000 Reward Stars, with a maximum of two participants per member
Registration: Opens October 28, 2026. Registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Details are available through the COKE+® app.
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