Coca-cola partners NGO to launch novel ‘Waste In The City’ initiative

As part of its sustained strategy of fostering a “World Without Waste”, The Coca-cola Foundation, in partnership with Statewide Waste and Environmental Education Foundation (SWEEP) to start its ‘ Waste In The City’ initiative across target communities in Lagos.

The initiative, which was unveiled across communities in Surulere LGA, Coker-aguda and Itire-ikate LCDAS, is a community-focused project funded by The Coca-cola Foundation and aimed at unclogging blocked drainages and canals by extracting PET bottles, cans and other plastic waste, recycling them through accredited off-takers by providing economic empowerment for community youth and women.

A total of 100 recycling receptacles and 10 tricycles will be deployed across these communities to ensure effective collection of the PET bottles and evacuation in real- time to aggregation centres for recycling.

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“We want to make recycling more accessible to achieve 100% collection and recycling by 2030. Our goal is to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one we sell globally. To achieve this, we will continue to make our packaging 100% recyclable and work with varied stakeholders to ensure the bottles are collected and recycled,” said Alfred Olajide, the managing director, Coca- Cola Nigeria Limited, reiterated the company’s commitment to ensuring a waste-free world.

According to him, the initiative will help communities identify and better understand how a collection of waste can lead to empowerment and means of livelihood, and where to recycle collected PET bottles.

“It will also help improve the existing collection and recycling systems. A litterfree world is possible and we at The Coca-cola Company are leading the way to achieve this,” Olajide said.

Ibijoke Sanwo-olu, wife of the Lagos State governor, said the initiative is a threepart project encompassing mass mobilization and community advocacy, deployment of waste collection receptacles and provision of sustainable livelihood for community youth within selected areas.