Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Incorporated (CCBPI) said that they will be investing a Billion Peso (Philippine Currency '₱') to pioneer a food-grade recycling facility in the country, this is their first major investment in a recycling plant within Southeast Asia.
CCBPI president and chief executive officer Gareth McGeown said in an official statement on Friday, June 7, that they aim to reduce plastic waste in the Philippines by collecting, cleaning, sorting and recycling used polyethylene terephthalate or PET plastic bottles.
"This facility is a testament to our resolve in making our World Without Waste vision a reality across the country, with a real positive impact not just across our value chain, but also in the communities where we belong," he added.
CCBPI is the beverage maker's bottling arm in the Philippines. The company stated that it is already in talks with a local firm and an internationally recognized green technology partner. The company also expects the planned facility to generate jobs. More details were released on Tuesday, June 11, when CCBPI launched its road map for a more sustainable business model.
Coca-Cola, which was listed by environmental groups as one of the top sources of plastic waste, not just in the Philippines but also worldwide, launched its World Without Waste commitment to collect all its used bottles and cans by 2030.
Its commitment also includes making sure that its PET bottles are made up of an average of 50% recycled materials.
"The bottle-to-bottle closed loop investment that we are announcing today is a model for how we want to grow sustainably and responsibly," McGeown said. "We recognize that there is a packaging waste problem in the world today and this investment is one of the ways we are stepping up to be part of the solution for the long haul."
Coca-Cola is also a member of the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability. Their other initiatives involve making use of renewable energy and having half of its packaging volume made up of returnable glass bottles.
In 2018, a news website reported that the Philippines is the world's third largest ocean polluter despite a waste management act that was made into effect 18 years ago. The culprits of this problem? Corruption, lack of discipline and will and the use of single-plastic sachets.
Loads of plastic trash swirling in waterways, garbage clogging drainage canals and huge stinking dump sites are some of the most visible manifestations of the waste crisis in the Philippines. With the investment that Coca-Cola Philippines just made, people are hopeful that the ranking will change and the trash problem will decrease.
