The Coca-Cola Company is breaking down plastic recycling to demystify the process in a new animated film narrated by William Nye, better known as Bill Nye the Science Guy.
The stop-motion film features an animated—and recycled—likeness of Nye who explains the end-to-end recycling process. The film takes viewers on the circular journey of a plastic bottle, starting from the time it’s placed in a recycling bin to returning to the shelf as a 100% recycled bottle.
The film was shot in Cheshire on a set made with recyclable and recycled materials. Plastic bottles, labels and cardboard were incorporated into all aspects of the production – from Nye’s puppet caricature made from cut-up plastic Coca-Cola bottles to trees made from green Sprite labels, to conveyor belts designed from recyclable cardboard.
Nye said: “As we know, we need to reuse plastic. That’s why I’m partnering with The Coca-Cola Company to show the science behind the process of recycling and how we can continue to address the global plastic waste crisis, together.”
Christine Yeager, Sustainability Director, North America Operating Unit, The Coca-Cola Company, added: “Recycling can be confusing for consumers. We need to be able to articulate, in a clear, easy-to-understand way, how recycling helps drive a circular economy by using and reusing materials again and again. That brought us to the idea of using Bill’s knack for communicating about complex topics in a simple way. We wanted to make this process more digestible for consumers, so they understand the science behind recycling and hopefully feel inspired to take action with us.”
The Coca-Cola Company’s global World Without Waste sustainable packaging initiative aims to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030; make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025; and use at least 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030.
