Coca-Cola invests in carbon capture plastic production research

Researchers at Swansea university (the team leading the project) will support the development of technology that can utilise carbon dioxide captured from the atmosphere in the production of ethylene.

Ethylene is a key component in plastics such as HDPE, which is used to produce bottle caps. The technology could reduce the need and use for fossil fuels that are currently part of the manufacturing process.

This project will last 3 years, with the funding coming from Coca-Cola’s investment arm, CCEP Ventures. “We know that making our packaging materials more sustainable is key to decarbonising our business, and technology will play an important role in helping us to solve this challenge.”

Twyford added that CCEP Ventures was focused on finding solutions that allows Coca-Cola to improve sustainability. “If scaled, this technology could impact both our fossil fuel use and carbon emissions and help to accelerate a low-carbon future for CCEP,” he said.