Coca-Cola Nigeria, CHI Limited, and Nigeria Bottling Company have restated their commitment to promoting sustainable ecosystems and ocean preservation through its Annual System Beach Cleanup exercise in the advancement of its World Without Waste Vision.
Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Director, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria, said this during the 2023 edition of the Coca-Cola Company Annual Beach Clean-Up Exercise which took place at Elegushi Beach in Lagos on Friday, June 16, 2023.
During the opening remarks, Onyemelukwe stated the significance of the exercise and how the company is devoted to promoting partnerships for environmental preservation.
“While we have made progress against our World Without Waste goals, we’re also committed to doing more, faster, so that we grow our business the right way. That’s why in 2020, we signed a joint statement urging United Nations member states to adopt a global treaty to tackle the plastic waste issue and helped launch the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty in 2022.
“We also announced an industry-leading target for reusable packaging aiming to have at least 25% of all beverages globally across our portfolio of brands sold in refillable/returnable glass or plastic bottles or in refillable containers.” She said.
Coca-Cola is investing in the planet and in its packaging with a goal to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells globally, regardless of where it comes from, by 2030.
“Ultimately, we recognise that we can’t achieve our goals alone. Addressing plastic waste and recycling challenges requires collaboration between the industry, the public sector, and civil society.
“Through effective collaboration as well as partnerships with NGOs such as the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA), National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), we can help accelerate impact.” She added.
Onyemelukwe said further: “About three years ago, there was no bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Lagos. Today, we have two such companies using used plastic bottles as raw materials for their produce, which is a significant step for us. You can also see a recycling bank here at Elegushi Beach, we left it there last year so everyone in this community can come in there and drop their collected bottles either in return for cash or they can get a gift card to go shopping, so can they leave the cards to accumulate before they redeem it to pay their children’s school fees or something.”
