Visitors to Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures Resort and Sea Life aquariums will be able to win prizes by recycling empty 500ml plastic bottles in reverse vending machines, as Coca-Cola renews its recycling initiative with Merlin Entertainment.

Running from 1 July to 9 September 2026, 30 reverse vending machines will be placed on site at 10 participating Merlin Entertainments attractions. The collaboration aims to reward families across the UK for sustainable practices.

The locations include Cadbury World, Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort and Sea Life aquariums in Blackpool, Birmingham, Brighton, London and Thorpe Park.

This builds on the success of the initiative since its launch, with hundreds of plastic bottles being recycled through Merlin’s reverse vending machines.

The machine usage increased by 18 per cent between 2024 and 2025, reaching nearly 30k transactions last year alone.

Subscribe to Grocery Gazette for free

Sign up here to get the latest grocery and food news each morning

This year participants can win a new selection of VIP experiences including behind-the-scenes tours of Saw: The Ride or Ghost Train at Thorpe Park.

Dusan Stojankic, general manager at Coca-Cola GB&I said: “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Merlin Entertainments for a fourth year, turning recycling into an exciting opportunity for families and thrill seekers across the UK to win fantastic prizes.

“The reverse vending machines are a fun and impactful way to encourage sustainable habits while creating magical memories.”

Jo Padwick, senior sustainability manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, said: “Building on our partnership with Merlin, we’re introducing even more exciting rewards through our RVM initiative.

“Partnerships like this play an important role in ensuring more bottles are collected and kept within the circular economy, rather than ending up as waste.”