Coca-Cola Foundation launches programmes to clean up plastic waste across Nigeria

COCA-Cola Nigeria has partnered with several non-profit organisations to reduce plastic pollution across the country launching a programme to clear up and recycle used bottles as part of a masterplan to clean up the environment

Unveiled as part of the recent World Environment Day celebrations, the initiative has been introduced  through the company's philanthropic arm, the Coca-Cola Foundation. Coca-Cola said that it also supports the Statewide Waste and Environmental Education (Sweep) Foundation to launch the Eko Beach Race 2021 themed A Race Against Plastic Pollution.

Attended by 2,000 youths, students and sports enthusiasts, the event involved them participating in a marathon race and beach clean-up. Sweep Foundation's president Obuesi Philips, stated at the event that it was geared towards recognising the growing contributions of sport to the realisation of societal development.

Under the programme, Coca-Cola has also partnered with the Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative to host the Recycle and Win festival. This will extend to community outreach and clean-up programmes in Kwara, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe and Oyo States.

Coca-Cola said that 10 tonnes of plastic bottles have been recovered under the programme so far. Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, Coca-Cola's director of public affairs, communications and sustainability, urged Nigerians to adopt more eco-friendly practices while emphasising the urgency of the current global situation.

Mr Onyemelukwe said, “At Coca-Cola, we recognise there is a packaging waste problem globally and especially in Nigeria, which is why we pioneered the World Without Waste initiative to engineer innovative solutions to tackle this challenge. World Environment Day presents an opportunity for us to act on this mandate as seen by the number of environmental sustainability initiatives we have supported in collaboration with local implementing partners.”