By Our Reporter
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Uganda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Associazione Zenzero and Centre for Peace and Conflict Mitigation (CEPCOM) to help amplify their plastic collection efforts.
The parties enter into this MOU to effect co-operation in the area of CCBA in Uganda purchasing sorted PET from AZ.
“This MOU signing will go a long way in supporting our vision – The Coca-Cola Company and all its bottling partners are leading the industry to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2030. We’re working to bring people together to help us collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one we sell.” Simon Kaheru, Public Affairs & Communications Director Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Uganda noted.
“Food and beverage packaging is an important part of our modern lives, yet the world has a packaging problem, which we as CCBA, together with The Coca-Cola Company, have a responsibility to help solve. Clearly, plastics are a significant global challenge. Our commitment is to invest in our planet and our packaging, to help make the world’s packaging problem a thing of the past, focusing on PET plastic.” He added.
On their part, Associazione Zenzero aims to empower women through plastic collection by working closely with local organisations. “We are already present with a similar process in Ethiopia and the aim of the organization is to empower women, practically through plastic collection. We collect PET, so we identified a local NGO-CEPCOM in Uganda as our implementing partner represented by Mr. Steven Kuteesa and Coca-Cola Beverages Africa through Plastic Recycling Industries as our buyer,” said Mr. MarcoMacchi, Associazione Zenzero representative in Uganda.
It is estimated that at least 600 tonnes of plastics is consumed everyday in Uganda, with most of it used and disposed off in and around Kampala. At least 51% of plastic garbage in the city is left uncollected leading to sewage system cloging and other related dangers.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to contribute to the conservation of mother earth through responsible co-existence,” Steven Kuteesa, the Executive Director CEPCOM Uganda said. “Understanding the fragility of our environment and the importance of it’s protection is therefore a collective obligation and a role for everyone to be environmental stewards in ensuring a sustainable future for generations.”
Plastic Recycling industries has to date collected 62% of the plastic produced by CCBA in Uganda. This target is part of a larger strategy to create partnerships in plastic collection in all 13 countries where it currently operates.
