Coca-Cola skips its highest market Nigeria, in setting up PET recycling plants
Leading global beverage group, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa has invested more than $5 million to tackle plastic pollution across the African continent with the establishment of PET recycling industries in Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Though it has been silent in advancing reasons why none of the recycling plant is planned for Nigeria, its highest continental market, environmental analysts say Nigerian government seems not to be serious in banning single use plastic items and products even though researches have shown that majority of drainage and waterfronts are infested with floating plastics.
Globally, plastic contents and associated pollution have been identified the major threats to the global ocean and water bodies including drainages.
Since recently, some countries with strong environmental policies are banning single use plastic items and products.
Coca-Cola is driving the PET recycling campaign on the back of industry collaboration and funding kick-started by the company and its main bottling partner across Africa.
Currently, ‘World Without Waste’ is a Coca-Cola goal to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone it sells by 2030 even as it plans to create packaging that contains at least 50 per cent recycled material by same year to begin use of less virgin material in future.
Business Hilights gathered in a statement that the company aims to make all consumer packaging 100 per cent recyclable by 2025.
Continuing, Coca-Cola says it is on track to spend a third of its $38 million pledge before the end of 2019 having agreed in December 2018 to invest $38 million over three years to stimulate polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic collection and recycling in Southern and East Africa as part of its local effort to achieving a global World Without Waste vision.
According to the company, “World Without Waste is an ambitious global Coca-Cola goal to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone it sells by 2030.”
“Coca-Cola has since the beginning of this year, together with its bottling partners has invested $5.125 million to boost recycling industries across eight countries.
“PET collection and recycling rates are steadily increasing. As a percentage of the PET plastic it sells, the Coca-Cola system in Southern and Eastern Africa is forecasted to close 2019 with an average collection and recycling rate of 80 per cent, led by South Africa at 114 per cent,” it noted.
