WILLEMSTAD – Another full container of PET bottles collected on Curaçao has been shipped abroad for recycling, marking another step in efforts by Curaçao Beverage Bottling Company B.V. (CBBC), the local producer of Coca-Cola, to increase the collection and recycling of plastic packaging on the island.
The latest shipment consists of transparent PET bottles and follows the export of a full container of colored PET bottles approximately one month ago.
CBBC is working with local recycling partner Green Force to process and export the collected material. The objective is to ensure that as many plastic bottles as possible are collected after use and turned back into raw material instead of ending up at the landfill.
CBBC supports the recycling process in several ways, including establishing collection points around Curaçao, investing in public awareness about recycling and providing financial support for the processing and export of collected PET bottles.
According to the company, that financial contribution is particularly important because Curaçao's relatively small scale, combined with processing and international transportation costs, makes exporting recyclable plastic difficult to operate profitably without additional support.
“For us, responsibility does not end when a bottle leaves our factory,” said Myrthe George-Verhulst of Curaçao Beverage Bottling Company. “We also want to contribute to solutions for what happens to packaging after consumption.”
George-Verhulst said encouraging people to recycle is only part of the solution. Investments are also necessary in the infrastructure and partnerships needed to make recycling practically possible on Curaçao.
Every PET bottle that is recycled is removed from the island's waste stream and can be reused as raw material. According to CBBC, this reduces the loss of valuable materials while also contributing to a cleaner Curaçao.
The financial support for the exports forms part of the broader sustainability ambitions of CBBC and Coca-Cola to reduce the environmental impact of packaging and promote collection and recycling.
CBBC stressed that achieving this on an island such as Curaçao requires cooperation throughout the entire chain, involving producers, recycling companies, government, businesses and consumers.
The initiative also aligns with the recently launched Green Wave movement, which promotes the idea that individuals, organizations and companies can collectively make a lasting difference by each taking responsibility within their own area.
“Recycling only works when the entire chain participates,” a CBBC representative said. “It starts with the person who separates an empty bottle or can, but after that there must be collection points, processing, transportation and a market for the material.”
CBBC is therefore encouraging residents, businesses and organizations to separate PET bottles and cans from other waste and make use of the collection options available across Curaçao.
The company and its recycling partner say every bottle collected represents one less piece of waste that could end up in nature or at the landfill.
“Every bottle counts. Every action counts. Together, we make a difference for a cleaner Curaçao,” the organizations said.