Vfestival: V Good At Recycling

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Thursday 19 August 2010: VFestival goers are expected to drink their way through tonnes of plastic and aluminium packaging this weekend, so volunteers from an innovative recycling scheme are geared up to keep V free from landfill, and turn festival goers into recycling gurus.

Volunteers from Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) and vinspired will be running a 'Swap for Swag Shop' in the Coca-Cola Recycle Garden at Hylands Park, Chelmsford.  This is a space where people can swap plastic bottles for limited edition festival essentials made out of recycled PET.1 Throughout the weekend, festival goers will be able to see the recycling process in action as their bottles are crushed into bales, to be used as tables and chairs during the festival, and then sent on for recycling once the festival closes.

The scheme has already proved a hit this year at the likes of Isle of Wight Festival and Sonisphere festival in Knebworth. At Sonisphere alone, 23,800 PET bottles were swapped for 2,260 items and the Swap Shop received 1,682 visitors in three days. In all, over six tonnes of recyclable material was collected over the whole weekend.

To make sure recycling is always the easy and accessible option, there will be 28 recycling points dotted around the VFestival site for people to drop their cans and bottles into.  CCE and vinspired volunteers will also be circulating the festival ground to ramp up enthusiasm for recycling and giving out bags to encourage people to collect empty bottles and swap them for limited edition swag at the Swap Shop.

Showers are forecast for this weekend's VFestival in Hylands Park and the 'Swap for Swag' initiative has the solution for unprepared festival goers come rain or shine.  Recycle used bottles and get a poncho to keep you dry, a clean T-shirt or a warm fleece.  The crushed bales of bottles offer a dry spot to sit if it's muddy, or sunbath if it's dry.

Here's a list of what VFestival goers can Swap for Swag:

5 bottles = poncho
10 bottles = neck tote
15 bottles = cap
20 bottles = t-shirt
75 bottles = fleece

Coca-Cola Enterprises Recycling Director, Patrick McGuirk said:

"We have found that music festivals are a great place to promote our Coca-Cola recycling message. The 'Swap for Swag' shop shows people that recycling is worthwhile and that a used bottle has a multitude of second uses.

"Here at V we want every festival-goer to leave at the end of the weekend committed to being a recycler for the rest of their life. We're trying to make recycling cool and it's inspiring to see the reaction to our teams of volunteers as they spread the Rock your Rubbish message across the site."

CCE's presence at VFestival (Hylands Park) comes as part of its Keep It Going programme which, in partnership with Recoup, has set up recycling points in public spaces across Great Britain. Over 60 permanent recycling zones are currently in place, helping people recycle on the go in shopping centres, hospitals, theme parks and transport hubs.

CCE aims to give all PET plastic bottles a second life - to take this plastic back, wash it, break it down and turn it into new PET bottles for the next round of festivities.  By 2012 Coca-Cola Enterprises aims to have 25% recycled PET in every plastic bottle it sells in Great Britain.

The Recycle Garden is at various festivals and events throughout the summer including Isle of Wight Festival, Sonisphere, Bloodstock and Creamfields.

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Notes to editors

Notes to the Editor:
1 PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) is a recyclable plastic that is commonly used for carbonated beverage and water bottles.

For more information contact:
Elisabeth Middlemas or Kate Ward at Coca-Cola Enterprises press office
Tel: 020 7009 3802
Email: elisabeth.middlemas@3-monkeys.co.uk or kate.ward@3-monkeys.co.uk

About Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd
Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) is a UK based subsidiary of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc, the world's largest marketer, producer and distributor of The Coca-Cola Company's (TCCC) products.

CCE manufactures and distributes products for TCCC as well as products for other brand-owners, throughout England, Scotland and Wales, employing around 4,500 people in Great Britain across seven manufacturing sites and a number of regional offices and depots.

CCE is committed to minimising the environmental impact of its products and operations, with a particular focus on sustainable packaging, water stewardship, and energy and climate protection.

About vinspired
v, the national young volunteers service, is an independent charity dedicated to helping young people volunteer in ways that matter to them.
www.vinspired.com

About Recoup
Recoup are a plastics recycling consultancy based in Peterborough. For over 20 years, Recoup has been a key player in the recycling of plastics, through setting up schemes to collect plastics to producing guidance documentation around the recyclabililty of plastic packaging.
www.recoup.org