Coca-Cola Hbc Italia, the main bottler of The Coca-Cola Company brand products in Italy, has announced the investment of over 30 million euros for the reopening of its production site in Gaglianico (Biella). The investment will convert the plant into an innovative facility capable of converting up to 30,000 tonnes of PET per year into new 100% recycled PET (rPET) bottles for the company's beverage bottling.

The company thus plays ahead of the requirements of the European Disposable Plastic Directive which envisaged the use of at least 30% of recycled PET in the production of new bottles by 2030.

Well in advance, therefore, the Gaglianico site will make it possible to overcome this objective through a plan divided into two phases: a first phase, operational upon completion of the works scheduled for the end of March, in which the plant will activate the resin transformation process, both of virgin and recycled PET, in preforms which will then become bottles by means of a special blowing process; a second phase, which will instead be operational after the approval of the European Food Safety Agency scheduled for July, in which the site will reach full operation by also making the rPET resin internally, which will thus become the only resin used within the establishment.

"Despite the difficulties in our sector linked to the pandemic and the nightmare of sugar and plastic tax that remain confirmed, we continue to invest and do our part both to move towards a real circular economy in the country and to contribute to the socio-economic development of a region to which we are particularly attached", said Frank O'Donnell, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Italia. "We are proud to be able to give a second life to this plant and we hope that the EFSA approval will arrive soon to make it fully operational as soon as possible".