Swire Coca-Cola Launches the World's First Patented Reverse Vending Machine with Contactless Smart Card Rewards

Swire Coca-Cola HK ("SCCHK") announced today the launch of its "Every Bottle Counts" plastic beverage bottle recycling program, which allows consumers returning used SCCHK plastic beverage bottles at specific reverse vending machines to earn Octopus Reward Dollars. Consumers can also opt instead to donate Reward Dollars to the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation to support the protection of nature. A program kick-off ceremony was held today at Ocean Park to unveil the details.

The "Every Bottle Counts" plastic beverage bottle recycling program was officiated by Mr. Raymond Cheng, Plant Operations Director of SCCHK, Ms. Mancy Li, Senior Manager, Sales & Business Development of Octopus Rewards Limited ("Octopus"), Mr. Timothy Ng, Deputy Director of Ocean Park Conservation Foundation ("OPCF"), Mr. Ricky Yuen, General Manager - Property Management of Hong Kong Housing Society ("HKHS") and Dr. Lawrence Wong, Principal Environmental Protection Officer of the Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong. The program aims at encouraging consumers to develop green approaches to waste disposal through a convenient and self-operated recycling system, with the ultimate goal of waste reduction.

To develop the world's first patented reverse vending machine with contactless smart card rewards, SCCHK has converted its existing vending machines to equip them with the new function of collecting instead of vending plastic beverage bottles. In this pilot program, reverse vending machines have been installed in Ocean Park and at various shopping centres and estates under HKHS management. There are plans for SCCHK to extend the program further to more locations in order to broaden its reach and facilitate the participation of the general public.

According to Mr. Raymond Cheng, Plant Operations Director of SCCHK, the reverse vending machine concept has been in practice overseas for quite some time, but SCCHK is the world's first company to develop and incorporate contactless smart card technology with a reward scheme into the operation of reverse vending machine and has patented such development in Hong Kong. "The first cooperation between SCCHK and Octopus was in 2000, with SCCHK being the pioneer vending operator to introduce Octopus payment service to its vending machines. After seven years the two companies have again worked together, and SCCHK launched the world's first reverse vending machine incorporated with contactless smart card rewards to give out Octopus Reward Dollars to incentivise consumers to support green causes. Consumers can either earn Reward Dollars through returning used plastic beverage bottles or donate Reward Dollars to another of our partners, the OPCF. For every R0.1 Reward Dollars a consumer donates, SCCHK will donate 10 cents to the OPCF to support its work for the conservation of wildlife and contribute to the protection of nature."

The "Every Bottle Counts" plastic beverage bottle recycling program is jointly supported by Ocean Park and HKHS. Three reverse vending machines are installed in the Park and four at Prosperous Garden (Yau Ma Tei), Jubilant Place (To Kwa Wan), Kai Tak Garden (Wong Tai Sin) and Lakeside Garden (Sai Kung) managed by the HKHS. When Octopus Rewards members return their used SCCHK plastic beverage bottles to these machines with their registered Octopus card, they can either earn Reward Dollars for themselves or donate Reward Dollars to a green group to promote environmental protection. In this initial stage, all the Reward Dollars donated will go to the OPCF to support the Foundation in its mission to advocate, facilitate and participate in the conservation of wildlife and habitats, with an emphasis on Asia, through research and education.

SCCHK is the sole authorized franchise bottler in Hong Kong for a wide range of products of The Coca-Cola Company. These include Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Lemon, Coke Light, Vanilla Coke, Sprit, Fanta, Schweppes, Bonaqua mineralized water, Bonaqua BonActive, Nestea can juice drinks, Qoo juice and lactic drinks, Hi-C series, Nescafe can coffee & milk tea, HealthWorks herbal drinks, Sunfill juice drinks, Tian Yu Di and Nagomi teas, and PowerAde sports drinks.

Mr. Raymond Cheng, Plant Operations Director of Swire Coca-Cola HK,
introduced the first reverse vending machine incorporated with contactless smart card rewards.