- For a fifth consecutive year Coca-Cola and Merlin Entertainments are offering the chance to win VIP experiences at some of the UK’s best-known attractions in exchange for empty plastic bottles
- The partnership will continue to incentivise and encourage recycling via reverse vending machines situated at the attractions
- Machines can be found at most family favourite Merlin attractions this summer, including Alton Towers Resort, Thorpe Park and LEGOLAND Windsor Resort
This summer, for the fifth year running, thrill seekers can win VIP experiences at some of the UK’s most popular family attractions. By simply recycling an empty 500ml plastic bottle at one of the specially designed reverse vending machines located across Merlin’s UK attractions, people will be in with a chance of bagging a prize.
Since the initiative launched, hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles have been recycled through Merlin's reverse vending machines. The scheme's popularity has continued to grow over time, with machine usage increasing by 18 per cent between 2024 and 2025 and reaching nearly 30,000 transactions last year alone.
New for 2026, guests can win a fresh selection of VIP experiences, including behind-the-scenes tours of SAW: The Ride, The Walking Dead: The Ride or Ghost Train at Thorpe Park, as well as Fast track tickets to the brand-new Bluey the Ride: Here Come the Grannies! in CBeebies Land at Alton Towers Resort. These new prize experiences join a fantastic line-up of returning VIP prizing available to guests who recycle their empty plastic bottles at participating Merlin attractions.
Ten Merlin Attractions will be providing prizes for lucky winners to enjoy, such as a VIP experience and Fast track passes to a Giraffe Encounter at Chessington World of Adventures Resort, a Snorkelling with Sharks Experience at SEA LIFE Blackpool, plus a brand new experience at Warwick Castle with a behind the scenes tour of Legend of the Trebuchet and a private history tour. Families and friends across the UK will have access to these prizes by recycling one 500ml drink and will get the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime prize.
“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,” said Dusan Stojankic, General Manager at Coca-Cola GB&I 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. By linking recycling to memorable experience, we’re helping make it easier and more engaging for people to recycle their plastic bottles.
“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.”
Dare Ilori, VP Global ESG and Sustainability at Merlin said: “We are a business where play takes the lead, and this partnership is a great example of how we can use the power of our attractions to encourage positive behaviours in a fun and engaging way.”
Competition details
Offering guests the chance to be part of the action and enter between 1 July and 9 September 2026, 30 reverse vending machines will be on site at 10 participating Merlin Entertainments attractions.
Locations include Cadbury World, Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, SEA LIFE aquariums in Blackpool, Birmingham, Brighton and London, Thorpe Park, and Warwick Castle.
Machines can be found by asking staff members at the attraction or using the individual attraction’s app, guiding guests through the parks to recycle their bottles and enter the VIP competition via a website printed on the receipt after recycling.