This summer, Coca-Cola and Merlin Entertainments are rewarding eco-conscious visitors with the chance to win VIP experiences at top UK attractions—just for recycling a plastic bottle.
Now in its fourth year, the campaign encourages guests to deposit empty 500ml bottles into special reverse vending machines at 12 Merlin locations across the country. In return, participants are entered into a prize draw to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from afternoon tea at Cadbury World to behind-the-scenes animal encounters and roller-coaster climbs, making recycling fun, meaningful and unforgettable.
Real impact through responsible fun
Since the initiative began, over 175,000 plastic bottles have been collected through the reverse vending machines, helping reduce waste while educating families about the importance of sustainability. By combining entertainment with environmental action, Coca-Cola and Merlin are showing how simple steps—like recycling a single bottle—can lead to lasting impact.
This year’s campaign promises to be the biggest yet. New for 2025, Cadbury World joins the initiative, offering sweet-themed prizes including a VIP Character Afternoon Tea, adding an extra layer of excitement to the campaign. Other standout prizes include a behind-the-scenes tour at Sharkbait Reef in Alton Towers Resort, a Snorkelling with Sharks Experience at SEA LIFE Blackpool, a VIP Giraffe Encounter at Chessington World of Adventures and the chance to climb The Swarm, one of the UK’s tallest roller-coasters, at Thorpe Park.
Where and how to enter
Running from 1st July to 7th September 2025, the competition spans 30 vending machines at 12 Merlin attractions across the UK. Participating locations include:
- Alton Towers Resort
- Chessington World of Adventures Resort
- Thorpe Park
- Cadbury World
- LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort
- LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Birmingham
- SEA LIFE centres in Blackpool, Birmingham, Brighton and London
- The Blackpool Tower
- Warwick Castle
Guests can find the vending machines using each attraction’s app or by speaking with staff. After recycling a bottle, the machine prints a receipt containing a unique code and website link for entering the prize draw.
Jo Padwick, Senior Sustainability Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, said: “The addition of VIP Cadbury World prizes to our RVM initiative with Merlin is an exciting prospect for our customers and will continue to provide them with an innovative and engaging way to recycle their plastic bottles. This partnership is a win-win for everyone involved and ensures that more plastic packaging will be collected and prevented from ending up in waste.”
Sarah Kilgannon, Head of Partnerships UK at Merlin Entertainments, added: “At Merlin, we’re committed to creating unforgettable experiences in ways that are both responsible and sustainable. Partnering with Coca-Cola for a fourth year allows us to reward families for making environmentally conscious choices – turning something as simple as recycling a bottle into something extraordinary.”
With a growing focus on sustainability across the leisure and beverage industries, the Coca-Cola and Merlin partnership continues to inspire families to take positive action—one bottle at a time.
For more articles like this, visit our Sustainability channel
