•This is part of the company’s effort to build resilience and address both current and future environmental challenges, while fostering positive change for the globe.
•To promote a circular economy, the company aims to reduce waste and carbon emissions by incorporating more recycled content into its packaging.
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has announced a comprehensive plan to enhance sustainability by increasing the use of recycled content in packaging and improving water management practices.
This comes as main shareholder-Coca-Cola plans to grow its investment in Kenya by up to $175 million(Sh22.9 billion) over the next five years, should the business achieve its anticipated growth targets in the country.
The initiative by CCBA is part of the company’s broader effort to build resilience and address both current and future environmental challenges, while fostering positive change for the globe, management said.
To promote a circular economy, the company aims to reduce waste and carbon emissions by incorporating more recycled content into its packaging, expanding the use of refillable bottles, and actively participating in Coca-Cola's World Without Waste initiative to collect and recycle packaging.
"We collaborate with partners to develope innovative packaging solutions,” said Tshidi Ramogase, CCBA’s Chief Public Affairs, Communication, and Sustainability Officer, on World Environment Day.
In a recent move to enhance sustainable water use, Coca-Cola opened a new wastewater treatment plant at the Equator Bottlers facility in Kisumu, Kenya.
The plant treats and recycles wastewater generated from the production process for non-potable uses such as irrigation and cleaning, thereby reducing the factory’s environmental impact.
“The Coca-Cola Company’s 2030 Water Security Strategy is dedicated to enhancing water security, recognising water as a critical ingredient in all our beverages and essential for the communities we serve,” Ramogase added.
“We partner with various stakeholders to ensure a consistent supply of clean water for both people and ecosystems in the regions where we operate, thereby contributing to sustainable water access and improved livelihoods while safeguarding against water- related disasters.”
Last year, Coca-Cola Beverages Botswana signed an agreement with the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources to donate water from its new water treatment plant, for agricultural irrigation at the university campus.
This state-of-the-art plant ensures that the company returns clean water to the environment, achieving full effluent compliance.
In a collaborative effort dating back to 2004, Coca-Cola joined forces with similar industries to establish the PET Recycling Company (PETCO) in South Africa, aimed at promoting and regulating the recycling of PET plastic.
The success of the PETCO model has led to its expansion into Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, with plans to include additional countries such as Namibia.
“While we are committed to making independent progress, we believe in the power of partnerships to drive collective impact in areas like water stewardship, packaging circularity and climate action,” said Ramogase.
The company is working with NGOs, communities, suppliers, business partners, customers, and consumers across all its markets.
"Feedback from these stakeholders helps us learn, improve, and shape our business and sustainability strategies, "management noted.
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa continues to lead in sustainability initiatives, setting a benchmark for the beverage industry in environmental stewardship and community engagement.
CCBA is the eighth largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent.
It accounts for over 40 per cent of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume.
With over 18,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 720,000 customers with a host of international and local brands.
The group was formed in July 2016 after the successful combination of the southern and east Africa bottling operations of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses of the Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments.
Coca- Cola Company holds a 66.5 per cent stake while Gutsche Family has 33.5 per cent shareholding.
CCBA operates in 15 countries, including its six key markets of South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia, as well as Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Malawi.