The Coca-Cola Company has teamed up with science educator Bill Nye to unveil a stop-motion animated short that illustrates “the process of holistic recycling.”

The film breaks down the ins and outs of plastic recycling for viewers in a bid to demystify the process, with the ultimate goal of “inspiring action”, says the Coca-Cola Company.

“As we know, we need to reuse plastic,” said Bill Nye, an American mechanical engineer, science communicator and television presenter.

I’m partnering with The Coca-Cola Company to show the science behind the recycling process

“That’s why I’m partnering with The Coca-Cola Company to show the science behind the recycling process and how we can continue to tackle the global plastic waste crisis together.”

Produced for The Coca-Cola Company by Mackinnon & Saunders, the award-winning animators and puppeteers behind Fantastic Mr Fox, Corpse Bride and more, the film features an animated – and recycled – version of Nye who explains the recycling process from start to finish.

As Nye chronicles the process, the content takes viewers on the circular journey of a plastic bottle, from the time it is placed in a recycling bin until it returns to the shelf under the shape of a 100% recycled bottle.

“World without waste”

While about 59% of Americans have access to selective recycling, 27% of plastic bottles are currently recycled in the United States, according to the Coca-Cola Company.

One of the company’s goals as part of its “World Without Waste” sustainable packaging initiative is to collect and recycle one bottle or can for every product sold by 2030.

The company says it has also committed to making 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025 and using at least 50% recycled materials in its packaging by 2030.

The Coca-Cola Company says this new film emphasizes that recycling is essential to “closing the loop” – using and reusing plastic bottle materials again and again.

We recognize our responsibility to help solve the global plastic waste crisis and help create a closed-loop economy, but we cannot do it alone

“We recognize our responsibility to help solve the global plastic waste crisis and help create a closed-loop economy, but we cannot do it alone,” says Christine Yeager, director of sustainability at The Coca- Cola Company North America.

“And who better than Bill Nye to help inspire everyone to understand, think, feel and behave differently about recycling. Yet there is still much to do – which is why we also advocate a well-designed collection policy, infrastructure funding and the creation of greater economic demand for recycled content. But Step One collects and recycles our bottles.

Beyond Nye’s recycled puppet, packaging materials from Coca-Cola packaging, including plastic bottles, labels, and cardboard, were incorporated into every aspect of the short. The trees were made by reusing Sprite labels and conveyor belts crafted from recyclable cardboard, creating a film that epitomizes recycling, design and function.