Aims to achieve 100% recycling of bottles and cans in 2-3 years
As part of its ‘World Without Waste’ programme, Coca-Cola India stated that the company hopes to achieve 100% recovery and recycling of post-consumer packaging, mostly bottles and cans, in the next two to three years.
By 2050, the company hopes to have net-zero carbon emissions throughout its whole value chain. Currently, renewable, and clean/green fuels account for 44% of the energy utilised in manufacturing, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 170K metric tonnes.
Coca-Cola stated that one of the three ESG (Environment, Sustainability, and Governance) emphasis areas of the corporation is recycling post-consumer packaging. According to news agency PTI, the other two are concerned with water and sustainable agriculture.
The company’s primary focus, according to Devyani Rajya Laxmi Rana, Vice President of Public Relations, Communications, and Sustainability at Coca-Cola India, is on the recovery and recycling of bottles and cans rather than multi-layered plastic. MLP is extremely difficult to recycle when it is used in the packaging of foods like chips, biscuits, chocolates, and other snacks.
According to Rajesh Ayapilla, Director of CSR and Sustainability for South West Asia and India at Coca-Cola, “In 2020, post-consumer packaging was collected in over 62,825 tonnes. The company refilled or helped recover 36% of bottles and cans, similar to what we introduced into the marketplace in India.” By design, the company, according to Ayapilla, is creating creative packaging, revamping lightweight packaging, and maximising the use of recycled content.
According to Ayapilla, Coca-Cola India is aiming to create community-led, sustainable programmes for integrated plastic waste management and to support effective recycling in India.
He said that the business is encouraging trash segregation at the source, improving collection processes, and aiding in the development of infrastructure to recycle post-consumer packaging into products with added value. According to him, the business has collaborated with numerous organisations, including Saahas, Chintan, the American India Foundation, Mahila Sewa Trust (SEWA), and the Hasiru Dala Foundations, to establish self-sustaining waste management infrastructure and models, promote civic movements, and improve the livelihoods of waste workers and women workers involved in the programmes by offering social security and labour dignity.
With these initiatives, according to Ayapilla, “In the next two to three years, we aim to collect all bottles and cans for recycling. That serves as our internal goal. By 2020, we will have 36%.”
The company’s global campaign, “World Without Waste,” seeks to collect and recycle every bottle and can it sells by the year 2030.