Over 19 coasts across the Philippines, including the shores of Subic Bay in Zambales and Roxas Boulevard in Manila, woke up to throngs of people picking up all kinds of rubbish found on and beneath the sand, recently. The whole Coca-Cola System in the Philippines participated in a massive cleanup along various shores in the country where their facilities are present. This is in line with the Company’s global goal of making the vision of a World Without Waste, a reality.
In partnership with the International Coastal Cleanup, associates of Coca-Cola, led by their Senior Leadership Team, spearheaded the cleanup at the former US naval base in Subic, while simultaneous cleanups were also conducted along the shoreline of Roxas Boulevard as well as in 19 other locations, particularly where a Coca-Cola bottling facility is present.
“Food and beverage packaging is an important part of our modern lives, but that doesn’t discount the fact that there is a waste problem in the country and around the world. As the leading beverage company, we know that we have a big responsibility to find a solution to the problem of waste,” said Gilda Maquilan, Sustainability Manager of Coca-Cola Philippines.
Since 1995, The Coca-Cola Company has been supporting the International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Conservancy through educational outreach, community engagement, research, industry collaborations, marketing and in other valuable areas where the company can assist.
During the recent coastal cleanup, the waste collected was sorted into various categories. Recyclables collected were properly turned over to their partner junk shops to give these waste a second life—thereby creating shared opportunities for both the informal waste sector and the recycling industry, as a whole.
The World Without Waste communities were chosen by partners’ Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, and the Sarangani Province Empowerment and Community Transformation Forum, Inc. which likewise participated in the International Coastal Cleanup, spearheading the cleanup of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape, among others.
Earlier this year, The Coca-Cola Company unveiled its global vision of a World Without Waste. The aim of the initiative is for the Company to be able to retrieve every bottle and can that they produce by year 2030.
Recyclable PET bottles which is used as the campaign symbol of groups in their campaign against plastic waste, is one of the highly collected and recyclable forms of plastic, in the world today. Considered a rich resource, due to its high value post consumption, recyclable PET bottles do not and should not have to end up in oceans and dumpsites.
“With the proper knowledge, system, and recycling facilities made available, recyclable PET bottles can be an easily accessible resource that can cost even more than their initial use. We will continue to work hand-in-hand with government agencies, non-government organizations, and local communities to help develop a collection and recycling system that will meet the needs of the country,” said Maquilan.
Coca-Cola Philippines is a proud sponsor of the International Coastal Cleanup 2018 in the Philippines, which is part of the Global Conservancy Group – an international organization that is Fighting for Trash Free Seas. During the International Coastal Cleanup Summit also held recently, Coca-Cola Philippines also held a “Hackapack”— a hackathon event among various student organizations to help find new solutions in collecting and recycling PET bottles in the country.