By Our Reporter
Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) through its initiative, Plastic Recycling Industries has partnered with Stanbic Bank Uganda to reduce plastic waste in the environment. This partnership is part of CCBU’s environmental sustainability programme that seeks to create a world without waste.
Last year, the National Research Repository of Uganda (NRU) indicated that imports and use of packaging and plastics in Uganda have increased six-fold within the last three years. This has escalated the challenge for sustainable management and recycling of plastic waste.
Speaking at the partnership event at Plastic Recycling Industry (PRI) in Nakawa, Kirunda Magoola, the CCBU Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Director highlighted that waste management is a collective effort that requires stakeholders to come together.
“Our commitment is to invest in our planet and environment. That’s why for every bottle that we produce, we are determined to collect the equivalent. Last year, we were able to attain 85% of this target while collecting PET waste wherever we found it,” said Kirunda, adding that the company intends to make all consumer packaging 100% recyclable by 2025.
The partnership provides an opportunity for Stanbic Bank to identify designated collection spaces that will serve as plastic waste collection centres around Uganda, ensure appropriate security and maintenance of the collection centres, and provide appropriate messaging to the public regarding environment protection.
“We are happy to be part of an initiative that cares for the environment and for people. Poorly disposed plastic waste damages the environment, land, and water. We, therefore, need to work together towards creating a world without waste,” said Anne Juuko, the Stanbic Bank CEO.
Present at the launch was the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Corporate Communications Manager, Naomi Karekaho, who applauded CCBU and Stanbic Bank for working together. She noted that plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental concerns due to the increase of single-use plastics and poor disposal habits by the public.
“I am happy to see corporate entities like CCBU and Stanbic Bank make a valuable contribution towards waste management and environmental conservation. Their efforts are worth emulating,” Karekaho said.
Through initiatives like this, CCBU will play its part in delivering on Coca-Cola’s global ambition of making 25% of our packaging reusable by 2030, collecting for recycling the equivalent of 100% of packaging sold and creating packaging that is at least 50% recycled material by 2030.