UGANDA – Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) through its initiative, Plastic Recycling Industries has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Stanbic Bank Uganda to help promote recycling and management of plastic waste in the environment.
This partnership is part of CCBU’s environmental sustainability program that seeks to create a world without 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.
“We have an agenda named “world without waste” as our commitment to invest in our planet and the environment,” said Kirunda.
“This is the reason for every bottle we produce, we are determined to collect the equivalent for every bottle we produce. For example last year, we were able to collect 85% of the bottles we produced and recycled them while collecting PET waste wherever we find it,”
He noted that the beverage company is now looking at attaining a 100% target by 2025 where every bottle produced by the company is collected and recycled.
According to Kirunda, Coca-Cola is also looking at delivering on its global ambition of making 25% of its packaging reusable by 2030 and creating packaging that is at least 50% recycled material by 2030.
Studies estimate that in Uganda, an average of 1,500 tonnes of plastic waste are generated daily, with only 500 tonnes of these being properly managed.
Last year, the National Environmental Management Authority(NEMA) revealed that only 40% of the waste produced is collected and disposed of properly, with the remaining 60% finding its way into the environment leading to a number of problems.
In the same year, the National Research Repository of Uganda indicated that imports and use of packaging and plastics in Uganda had increased sixfold within the previous three years, escalating the challenge of sustainable management and recycling of plastic waste.
Speaking on Friday, the Stanbic Bank CEO, Anne Juuko said it is incumbent on everyone to join the fight against plastic waste.
“The single biggest tool in the fight against environmental degradation is awareness. People should be aware that if you reach out for a single-use bottle, you are planting a seed to take 500 years,” noted Juuko.
“It pains when I walk around and I see kaveera. It is incumbent on every one of us to join this fight against environmental degradation.”
She emphasized the need for collaboration to drive the agenda for saving the environment. She added, “There is a multiplier effect in collaboration and that is where the fight will be won.
“We need to explore ways and means to tackle this problem jointly. We have the resources but all we need to do is come together to tackle the problem because poorly disposed of plastic waste damages the environment.”
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