More and more plastic waste is being diverted from landfills and into a circular economy that grows employment and entrepreneurship in African countries, as we celebrate Global Recycling Day today (March 18).
Food and beverage packaging is an important part of modern life, helping to ensure food safety and reduce food waste, yet the world has a packaging problem that requires a comprehensive response.
As part of its responsibility to help address this challenge, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), together with The Coca-Cola Company, has set ambitious goals to help collect a bottle or can for every one it produces by 2030, use 50% recycled content in all packaging and make 25% of its packaging reusable by the same year, while making all its packaging 100% recyclable by 2025.
The initiative, called World Without Waste, relies on partnerships with customers, consumers communities, industry and governments to succeed.
With many initiatives under way across CCBA’s territories, a few recent highlights include the move to clear Sprite PET in six markets which makes it much easier to recycle and has greater value as a recyclable material. Another milestone is the extension of the PETCO model, which is based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility, to three additional markets since its inception in South Africa and plans for further rollout to a total of eight markets. CCBA also started using returnable 2L PET in South Africa with the view to roll this out to other markets.
CCBA Group Head of Sustainability Diana Sibanda said the company was developing increasingly sustainable ways to manufacture, distribute and sell its products.
“We use our industry leadership to be part of the solution to achieve positive change in the world and to build a more sustainable future for our planet,” she said.
In Uganda, CCBA, through Plastic Recycling Industries (PRI) has previously partnered with the local council, recycling companies and Koyinawo Waste Management Services to clean up Mbarara City by collecting plastic waste in the communities of Makenke and Lubiiri.
The clean-up drive contributed to the company’s commitment and saw the collection of 676kg of plastic.
This year, CCBA supported the ‘Rethink Plastics’ campaign, which was launched at Kiswa Primary School by the Uganda Scouts Association in partnership with Worldwide Fund for Nature and CCBA under the theme ‘Rethink Plastic, Saving our planet together, one challenge at a time’. The campaign seeks to create awareness and grassroots education on the responsible use and disposal of plastic waste across the country.
And this month, PRI again worked with leaders in Rushere, Kiruhura District, and partners like Koyinawo Waste Industries, to mobilize people to clean up plastic waste and create a culture of correct disposal of inorganic waste, collection of plastic waste and supporting recycling.
CCBA in Uganda’s General Manager, Melkamu Abebe, committed to keep growing partnerships locally to address poor disposal of plastic waste, and to support collection and recycling.
