Coca-Cola uses recycled plastic to create sound samples with renowned music producers

Coca-Cola has launched  a musical experiment carried out by producers Mark Ronson and Madlib for its new sustainability initiative "Recycled records".  The campaign introduces an original extended play (EP), which is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album, made up of the sounds taken from the bottle-to-bottle recycling process, after which fans will get the opportunity to re-mix the sounds used by the two artists to create their own innovative compositions. 

The campaign aims to use clear plastic to liken them to sound samples which can then be used in song production. Using clear plastic also enables a stronger shelf life. Ronson said that sampling is an artform which is constantly regenerating, just like the process of recycling. “The thud of a plastic bottle going through a recycling facility is, in its own way, a piece of art, it has the ability to transform,” added on Madlib. He explained that being able to take different sounds from the recycling process and using them in a new format exemplifies the versatility of sound.

As part of the initiative, consumers can also watch a documentary-style short film narrated by female rapper, MC Lyte that draws a connection between the spirit of music sampling and the closed loop recycling process. The film showcases the creative process behind “Recycled Records” and the work of the two artists. VP and GM of sustainability at the Coca-Cola company in North America said that the partnership with the two artists is part of The Coca-Cola Company’s broader World Without Waste goals. “We’re excited about the switch because it increases the amount of high-quality, food-grade recycled plastic available in the marketplace and ultimately allows our brands to use more recycled plastic in their packaging,” he added.

This is not the first time Coca-Cola has made a foray into the music industry. In Asia, Coke Studios has made a home within the South Asian community, and the programme has now been taken on an international level. Earlier this year, the brand said it would be expanding the music platform that first launched in Pakistan in 2008, to a global stage. The global Coke Studio program is digital-first and provides an opportunity for emerging talent to partner, create and deliver moments of musical magic to new audiences.

On the recycling front, according to The Coca-Cola Company’s 2021 Business and ESG Report, the World Without Waste initiative aims to mitigate the global plastic waste crisis with three fundamental goals of making their packing 100% recyclable by 2025, making sure their packaging material is at least 50% recyclable by 2030 and lastly to collect and recycle one bottle or can for every one that is sold by 2030.

Meanwhile, in November this year, The Coca-Cola Company jumped on board as UN climate conference COP27's sponsors. This led to the conference organisers coming under scrutiny because Coca-Cola had been named the worst plastic polluter for five years running by a global brand audit report by ‘Break Free From Plastic’. The sponsorship deal with UN saw many protestors describing the sponsorship of the summit as a “greenwashing” initiative by Coca-Cola. A petition is already running on change.org to call for an end of the partnership and corporate sponsorship talks, starting with the removal of Cola-Cola.

According to a post by Greenpeace last year, activists around the world are protesting loudly as for decades, Coca-Cola and other consumer goods companies have relied on the myth of recycling to avoid responsibility for this pollution.

Related articles:
Coca-Cola makes content marketing push with Christmas anthology on Prime Video
Is COP27's image dented with sponsor Coca-Cola being top plastic polluter?
Coca-Cola's sponsorship of COP27 slammed for greenwashing