Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has installed a Return and Earn reverse vending machine (RVM) at its Northmead production site in Western Sydney. It is the second consumer accessible machine CCEP has placed at one of its manufacturing sites and it is open to anyone in the community.
Made here and returned here
Delivered in partnership with Return and Earn, the machine is located at 128 Briens Road and is open daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm to all members of the public.
Orlando Rodriguez, Managing Director – Australia at CCEP, said the machine closes a loop that has run in one direction for most of that time.
"For more than 50 years, Coca-Cola has been proudly made in Northmead – and now, with this Return and Earn machine, our containers can be made here and returned here, supporting local recycling and ensuring consumers can claim back their deposits."
Building on the Moorabbin result
The Northmead RVM follows CCEP's first onsite machine at Moorabbin in Victoria, which launched in November 2025. By February 2026 it had collected more than 144,000 containers, which CCEP points to as evidence of what happens when a trusted, visible return point is made available.
That response prompted the second installation. "Our Moorabbin site has shown strong community interest in additional return points, and that's encouraged us to keep building on this momentum," Rodriguez said. "Rolling out more RVMs across our major sites is the next step in strengthening community access and delivering on our long-term producer responsibility commitments."
More installations are planned at other CCEP manufacturing sites.
Access rather than cost
Recovery rates rise when returning a container is easy and that can happen without changing what consumers pay at the checkout.
"Access and convenience are essential to a successful circular economy, and installing public return points at our own sites is a practical example of that commitment in action," Rodriguez said. "It's a logical extension of extended producer responsibility: supporting recycling rates without increasing the cost of each grocery shop."
Danielle Smalley, CEO of Exchange for Change, said the scheme depends on that kind of participation. "Return and Earn is a successful product stewardship scheme funded by the beverage industry. It's great to see beverage suppliers like Coca-Cola Europacific Partners supporting the community's participation by hosting a machine onsite."
Part of a wider circular packaging program
The RVM network sits alongside CCEP's role as a founding partner of Circular Plastics Australia (PET), with Pact Group, Cleanaway and Asahi Beverages, which operates recycling facilities at Altona North and Albury capable of processing the equivalent of up to 2 billion 600ml PET bottles a year. Both sit within This is Forward, CCEP's sustainability action plan.
CCEP is a Category One Member of the Drinks Association and a member of the Sustainability Council.