Coca-Cola and Merlin Ents offer VIP prizes for empty plastic bottles

This summer, for a second year, thrill-seekers will be in with a chance of winning VIP experiences at some of the UK’s best-known family attractions in exchange for simply bringing along an empty 500ml plastic bottle and recycling it at one of the specifically designed reverse vending machines across Merlin Entertainments' UK attractions.

This year prizes are bigger and better, including a VIP behind-the-scenes tour and experience in Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE at Alton Towers Resort, a VIP Giraffe Feed Experience at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in connection with the Chessington Conservation Fund, a shark feed at the Deep Sea Adventure at LEGOLAND Windsor Resort in connection with the SEA LIFE Trust, plus conquering the 127ft climb of one of the UK’s tallest roller-coasters, THE SWARM at THORPE PARK Resort. Families and friends all across the UK will have access to these prizes by recycling one 500ml drink and helping Coca-Cola on its mission to collect and recycle a bottle for every one it sells by 2030.

Offering guests the chance to be part of the action and enter between the 1 July and 30 September 2023, 28 reverse vending machines will be on site at 11 participating Merlin Entertainments attractions, including Alton Towers Resort, LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, THORPE PARK Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Warwick Castle, SEA LIFE aquariums in Blackpool, Birmingham, Brighton and London, The Blackpool Tower, and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Birmingham.

The innovative vending machines will have quirky and themed designs relating to each prize on offer. Four extra machines have been installed across a number of attractions since last year to make them easy for guests to find and be in with a chance of winning. Machines can also be found by asking staff members at the attraction or using the individual attraction’s app, guiding guests through the parks to recycle their bottles and enter the VIP competition via a website printed on the receipt after recycling.

The partnership continues Coca-Cola’s ongoing relationship with Merlin Entertainments, which has seen over 100,000 plastic bottles collected via the reverse vending machines since they were first introduced in 2019.

“Our partnership with Merlin is one of the ways we are ensuring all our packaging is collected, reused or recycled as part of a circular economy," said Jo Padwick, Senior Sustainability Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB. "This closely follows our campaign with the SEA LIFE Trust to run a national beach clean aligned with World Oceans Day.”

Elodie Peribere, Marketing Director at Coca-Cola Great Britain said: “This summer, reverse vending machines will be located across Merlin attractions which will enable guests to recycle their plastic bottles to ensure they can be used again as well as giving people the chance to win some amazing VIP experiences. We share Merlin’s passion for entertainment and goals for sustainability: all of our bottles are 100% recyclable, and this year we added attached caps across our portfolio to make it easier for people to recycle the whole package and help reduce littering.”

The announcement is the latest in a series of actions from Coca-Cola Great Britain to encourage people to recycle. As part of its global goal, Coca-Cola aims to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for each one it sells by 2030.