Re-Ciclar Plant: will produce the first drink bottles with recycled plastic in Chile
The Re-Ciclar plant is operated by Coca-Cola Andina and Coca-Cola Embonor, and involved an investment of $35 million dollars, which will allow for a new lifecycle for bottles to be transformed into new containers.
With the participation of the Minister of Economy, Nicolás Grau, and over 400 attendees, including government officials, mayors, companies, and representatives from the sustainability world, the inauguration and commissioning of Re-Ciclar, the beverage bottle recycling plant took place. For the first time in Chile, this allows the production of these containers with food-grade recycled material.
With an investment of $35 million dollars, this modern factory operated in partnership by Coca-Cola Andina and Coca-Cola Embonor, contributes to the reduction of new plastic circulation and strengthens the circular economy with a capacity to recycle more than 350 million bottles. Re-Ciclar also creates new job positions in its facilities and will generate 25,000 indirect jobs across the country, positively impacting sustainable development.
The operation, which is already in full operation, is pioneering in the use of sustainable technologies, combining cutting-edge equipment imported from Italy, Japan, and Austria. It also runs on solar energy through photovoltaic panels, while the water used in the production process is treated by 80% to be thereafter reused for garden irrigation. The cranes, which are equipped with lithium batteries, are 100% electric and significantly contribute to the reduction of the carbon footprint. This plant stands out as a pioneer in the use of sustainable technologies.
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The Minister of Economy, Nicolás Grau, highlighted the launch of Re-Ciclar as an environmental milestone for the country. ""From the perspective of our government, this plant combines the set of elements that we really need to achieve sustainable development in the country. In an economy like ours, this is always achieved through private initiative and regulation. Therefore, it is very important that this type of initiatives exist, as they show us how far we can go as a country when addressing these complex and global-scale challenges,"" the State Secretary stated.
Thanks to this plant, and starting from 2025, all beverage bottles of the Coca-Cola portfolio in Chile will contain 15% recycled PET resin, a percentage that will gradually increase until producing 100% recycled packaging. On this challenge, the chairman of the board of Coca-Cola Andina, Gonzalo Said, expressed that Re-Cycle is a reflection of the company's commitment to investment and the sustainable development of the country. For this reason, we hope that this operation becomes a fundamental axis to promote recycling in Chile and a benchmark of circular economy and innovation not only for our country, but for all of Latin America.
For his part, Andrés Vicuña, Chairman of the Board of Coca-Cola Embonor, stated that "it is the first fully operational PET bottle recycling plant in Chile. This is excellent news for the country as it demonstrates the Coca-Cola System's firm commitment, in addition to driving growth with new quality jobs and generating sustainable innovation".
Re-Ciclar operates a collaborative and inclusive model through strategic partnerships with all members of the recycling chain, from grassroots recyclers, small, medium and large managers, local governments, and territorial organizations, among others. During this 2024, it expects to collect around 10,000 tons of PET together with its allies, including the National Association of Recyclers of Chile, Latitud R, La Ciudad Posible, and the collective action of the citizens.
On this, the president of the National Association of Base Recyclers (Anarch), Soledad Mella, valued that "Re-Ciclar, for us, represents an opportunity for recognition, but above all for strengthening for the base recyclers. Our negotiations with Coca-Cola and Re-Ciclar have always been focused on improving conditions and giving visibility to those men and women who, in this work, have been invisible. For the first time, they have a concrete reality, and that is due to Re-ciclar"
The recycling process at Re-Ciclar begins with people's commitment to properly deposit their drink bottles at recycling points. Then, base recyclers and managers collect, store, and deliver the PET plastic to Re-Ciclar. Upon arriving at the plant, the bottles go through a process of cleaning, analysis, and shredding, transforming the container into flakes, known as flake, which undergo an extrusion, crystallization, and post-condensation process that allows them to recover the physical and chemical properties of PET, to become recycled resin pellets. Finally, the preforms are produced which are loaded onto the production lines, where they go through a process of heating, blowing, and filling with new drinks, ready for the end consumer.
"Re-Ciclar is the most modern plant in Latin America operated by Coca-Cola and the third in the region, along with Mexico and Paraguay. In this way, Re-Ciclar becomes a key player in the recycling industry in Chile, collaborating closely with all the actors in the chain, both public and private, to generate a significant social, economic, and environmental impact throughout the entire value chain and to ensure that each PET bottle that enters the market is given a new life."