CuRe Technology leverages polyester rejuvenation to target plastics that are not recyclable by mechanical recycling methods and prevents them from incineration, landfill, and downcycling
CCEP intends to use the technology to produce rPET for food and drink packaging. (Credit: Coca-Cola Europacific Partners)
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), through its investment division CCEP Ventures, has announced further investment in recycling start-up CuRe Technology to convert difficult-to-recycle polyester into rPET for use in its European bottle packaging.
CuRe Technology leverages polyester rejuvenation to target plastics that are not recyclable by mechanical recycling methods and prevents them from incineration, landfill, and downcycling.
Through the investment, CCEP intends to eliminate virgin oil-based plastic from its bottles and produce rPET for food and drink packaging. The process is also expected to offer a new lease of life for hard-to-recycle plastic polyester waste.
The recycling process of CuRe Technology manufactures rPET that generates a 65% low carbon footprint than virgin PET.
According to CCEP, rPET can be used for food and drink packaging and re-processed as many times as necessary. This will help in the transition to a circular economy for PET and make a new rPET stream.
CCEP sustainability vice president Joe Franses said: “We are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our packaging and eliminating the use of oil-based virgin plastic in our bottles by the end of the decade.
“Packaging challenges need big ideas to tackle them, and through CCEP Ventures we can accelerate innovative solutions to help us meet our ambitions.
“CuRe’s technology will give us access to recycled plastic that will accelerate our transition to a circular economy for our packaging.”
CCEP will have access to rPET from CuRe Technology, which will be provided by a new factory that will begin generating it in 2025, for use in its bottles in Europe.
Following initial funding in 2020 to support CuRe Technology’s R&D programme and pilot plant, this is CCEP’s second investment in the company. This will help stage prepare the technology for commercial use.
CuRe Technology CCO Josse Kunst said: “CCEP’s renewed commitment will help us complete the engineering for our first commercial plant faster, scaling cutting-edge technology and making it possible to revitalise previously difficult-to-recycle plastics.”