Coca-Cola, Partners Pledge to Promote Sustainable Ecosystems

Sophia Adeyemi and Blessing   Akinsanmi

The Coca-Cola System in Nigeria, comprising Coca-Cola Nigeria, CHI Limited and Nigerian Bottling Company, has reiterated its commitment towards promoting sustainable ecosystems and ocean preservation through its Annual System Beach Clean-up exercise in furtherance of its World Without Waste vision.

Through this vision, the company is investing in the planet and in its packaging with a goal to collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone it sells globally– regardless of where it comes from by 2030.

Consequently, every year, The Coca-Cola System in Nigeria pulls together likeminded partners for a beach clean-up drive focused on eliminating plastic waste debris from beaches, ultimately preserving shorelines of coastal communities.

This year, in partnership with the Mental and Environmental Development Initiative for Children (MEDIC), Coca-Cola hosted residents and partner  another impactful exercise at Elegushi Beach, Lagos.

The exercise, led by Founder of  MEDIC, saw an attendance of over 300 people and played host to notable environmental advocates including community volunteers and local environmental protection agencies.

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, CHI Limited, Eelco Weber, said: “For The Coca-Cola System in Nigeria, sustainability remains at the very core of all of our operations. We have set ambitious goals to facilitate this, and we are taking a leading role in Nigeria by collecting and recycling the equivalent of every bottle or can we sell by 2030.  We are a socially responsible company, and we continue to lead the charge in Nigeriaand globally by continuing to do what’s right for our planet, our communities, and our System”.

In her opening remarks,  Director of Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, reiterated the significance of the exercise and how the company is committed to fostering partnerships that promote 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 per cent of all beverages globally across our portfolio of brands sold in refillable/returnable glass or plastic bottles or in refillable containers.”

She added: “Ultimately, we recognize 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”.

 Director, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Nigerian Bottling Company, Soromidayo George, also reinforced the vision of the System in advancing solutions that address waste management across the country.

She stated that it is imperative to sort recyclables like PET from other household waste and take them to the recycling banks, since recycling PET can help reduce the annual volume of plastics entering our oceans by 80%, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent and help generate income and create jobs thereby contributing to the economic development of Nigeria.

Present at the exercise were the Acting Managing Director, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA),Kunle Adebiyi; General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Dr. Dolapo Fasewerepresented by Mr. Kayode Bello;Arese Onaghise,Executive Secretary, Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance; and Victoria Uwadoka, Head of Corporate Communications, Nestle Nigeria, alongside representatives of SWEEP Foundation, FABE Foundation,Nigeria Climate Innovation Center(NCIC), Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF), Sterling One Foundation and other volunteers.

With over 330 volunteers and an estimated 340kg of waste recovered at the conclusion of the exercise, Coca-Cola remains deeply committed to sustainability, taking its responsibilities seriously and proactively seeking innovative solutions to create a more resilient and environmentally conscious future.