• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Lifestyle
Opinion: Global recycling day calls on us to work together for a world without waste

Opinion: Global recycling day calls on us to work together for a world without waste

March 27, 2021
Capital Chicken: How Ugandans lost billions in non-existent  poultry rearing investment scheme

Capital Chicken: How Ugandans lost billions in non-existent  poultry rearing investment scheme

October 3, 2023
One killed over mosque wrangles in Entebbe

One killed over mosque wrangles in Entebbe

October 3, 2023
Uganda Golf Open returns

Uganda Golf Open returns

October 3, 2023
PHOTOS: Jose Chameleone, Coco Finger impress at Vumbula Uganda festival

OPINION: Be afraid whenever Ugandans launch a ‘Tribalism-Exhibition,’ they may be fanning the flame of atrocities

October 3, 2023
Tubayo Market Day: A platform for aspiring entrepreneurs, supported by Next Radio

Tubayo Market Day: A platform for aspiring entrepreneurs, supported by Next Radio

October 3, 2023
Half of electricity produced in Uganda remains unused, says gov’t

Exciting changes ahead for the National ICT Job Fair

October 3, 2023
The Pulse Influencer Awards 2023 set for this Saturday

The Pulse Influencer Awards 2023 set for this Saturday

October 3, 2023
How to improve the National Alcohol Policy

Ugandans warned against taking pride in being leading alcohol consumers in Africa

October 3, 2023
NBS Sport and Fairway Hotel honour Ugandan women’s basketball team, the Gazelles

NBS Sport and Fairway Hotel honour Ugandan women’s basketball team, the Gazelles

October 3, 2023
Ntare suspends all senior six students over indiscipline

Ntare suspends all senior six students over indiscipline

October 3, 2023
Logo
Advertisement
  • News
    • Politics
    • Security
      • Cyber Security
    • Health
      • Coronavirus outbreak
    • Education
    • Business
    • Tech
    • 2021 Elections Watch
      • The Election Podcast
    • Exclusive
    • Investigations
    • Reviews
  • Opinions
    • Columns
      • Parting Shot
      • Two Sides of a Coin
      • Bazanye’s Quick Shots
      • Mable Twegumye Zake’s #BitsOfMe&You
      • But this Year!
      • What Did I Miss?
  • Lifestyle
    • Hatmahz Kitchen
    • Food Hub
    • Let’s Talk About Sex
    • Entertainment
    • Tour & Travel
    • Love Therapist
    • Homes
  • Global
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • The Americas
    • East Africa
      • Kenya
      • Rwanda
      • Tanzania
      • South Sudan
      • DR Congo
      • Ethiopia
      • Sudan
  • Ask the Mechanic
  • Special Reports
    • Kabaka Mutebi’s 25th Coronation Series
    • Focus on Somalia
    • Sino-Africa
    • Uganda at 56
    • Anti-Corruption Fight
    • Age Limit Map
    • Tuve Ku Kaveera
  • Sports
    • Place-It
    • StarTimes Uganda Premier League
    • Bundesliga
    • World Cup
  • Jobs
No Result
View All Result
Logo
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinions

Opinion: Global recycling day calls on us to work together for a world without waste

NP admin by NP admin
March 27, 2021
in Opinions
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Opinion: Global recycling day calls on us to work together for a world without waste

By Jacques Vermeulen

Along with its devastating human and economic costs, the COVID-19 pandemic has put renewed focus on sustainability. The experience of mass human vulnerability to the accidents of nature has reminded us of the need to live in harmony with the natural environment if we are to survive as a species.

As James Quincey, Coca-Cola CEO and Chairman, recently put it: “COVID-19 has highlighted the urgent need for collaborative, cross-sector solutions to climate change, plastic waste and other critical environmental and social issues. The crisis has shone a light on the interconnected nature of our world and the lessons we learn must be applied to help us emerge stronger and get to a more sustainable and inclusive economic future.”

The question, against the backdrop of the severe economic damage caused by the pandemic, is how social partners can work better together to build this future.

AD-03 AD-03 AD-03
ADVERTISEMENT

Global Recycling Day on March 18 gives us the chance to think anew about how to advance the prosperity of Africa by growing our economies inclusively, while reducing the impact of packaging waste on the environment.

ADVERTISEMENT

A big part of the answer is to build a circular green economy that enables recycling and draws in the public and private sectors, communities and other stakeholders in a collaborative effort. In Uganda, we have entered partnerships with companies such as KCCA, Stanbic Bank, Nice House of Plastics and Tooro Kingdom to conserve the environment and promote proper waste management.  The Coca-Cola Foundation also extended USD30,000 to support plastic waste collectors across the country affected by COVID-19 to provide basic relief items and equip them with tools to work better. We can’t achieve our recycling goal without their support. 

For our part, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has made our ambitious recycling targets a top business priority, alongside key performance metrics for growth and profitability. 

In other words, we measure our business success not only according to growth and profits, but also by doing business the right way – following our values and working toward solutions that benefit not only us all but also future generations.   Profitability is important, but not at any cost. We don’t believe there’s another way of doing business the right way.

Our commitment is to invest in our planet and our packaging, to help make the world’s packaging problem a thing of the past. 

The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partners are leading the industry with a bold, ambitious goal: to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone we sell by 2030. We want to support local governments’ waste management objectives by making recycling more accessible and to achieve 100% collection and recycling by 2030. 

We also have a fully-fledged recycling plant located at Nakawa whose main purpose is not only to recycle plastic but also an equal system that makes people take away plastic from the environment. This year, we invest USD 61,000 in equipment and plan to inject another USD 70,000 in a new line to increase our recycling volume to match with our 100% recycling goal. We are also extending our recycling commitment by aiming to collect 5,000T (500 million plastic bottles), which is a big improvement on the 857T (71 Million Plastic bottles) we collected in 2020. 

In addition, as a system our goals include to make all our consumer packaging 100% recyclable globally by 2025 and use at least 50% recycled material in our packaging by 2030. This is part of our larger strategy to grow with conscience as we become a total beverage company. 

In the 14 markets where CCBA operates, we are on track to meet these targets well ahead of schedule.

Holistic solutions to challenges like packaging waste require partnerships, and it is important that we work together to ensure transformation, inclusion and sustainability of the circular economy across the continent.

For their part, governments can contribute by creating an enabling regulatory environment to help stimulate sustainable practices. 

Regulators also play a crucial role in facilitating public-private partnerships, setting packaging standards and driving policies that encourage the circular economy to thrive for greater economic inclusion of people. 

What we need is for communities, countries, governments and regulators to accelerate the shift towards circular, or closed-loop business models. However, for it to be implemented successfully requires high levels of collaboration. 

We believe that the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the most efficient means to support the circular economy. Paying EPR fees and striving to increasingly use recycled plastic, even if it costs more than virgin plastic, ultimately enables the circular economy.  

PETCO is a great example – this model was initiated in South Africa in 2004 as an industry-led initiative for collection and recycling of PET bottles. It has since been established in Kenya and Ethiopia, with Tanzania launching soon and other markets in planning. 

We know that for developing economies these costs can be a real challenge as it potentially adds cost at the level of the consumer. However, closed-loop business models are more efficient at retaining value than recycling that results in non-circular products. This is why we support the use of recycled plastic within the Coca-Cola system so that we can create new bottles from recycled bottles. 

A more sustainable, more inclusive Africa, free of waste, is possible if we work together in collaboration for the common good of our continent.  

The author Jacques Vermeulen

*Jacques Vermeulen is CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa

 

 

Tags: bottlesenvironmentGlobal recycling dayprotect environmentrecycling
ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

Spotlight: ‘Liberalisation of education sector has gone astray’

Next Post

Makerere University staff vaccination for COVID-19 kicks off

NP admin

NP admin

Related Posts

PHOTOS: Jose Chameleone, Coco Finger impress at Vumbula Uganda festival

OPINION: Be afraid whenever Ugandans launch a ‘Tribalism-Exhibition,’ they may be fanning the flame of atrocities

by Sam Akaki
October 3, 2023
0

In my considered opinion often expressed in British and Ugandan press, the existential threat facing Uganda and other African countries...

RCC Burora warns Bobi Wine against gathering crowds in Kampala amid terror threats

OPINION: The quest of delivering the benefits of a modern connected life to all Ugandans

by NP admin
October 3, 2023
0

By Andrew Bugembe  The benefits of a connected life are immense. Connectivity is a necessity in today’s world. However, some parts...

Opinion: Election 2026, deconstructing Tegulle’s tale of the weighing scale

OPINION: Fred Rwigyema, a  legacy of leadership and resilience

by NP admin
October 2, 2023
0

By Dr. Pontian Kabeera Fred Rwigyema's legacy, like a beacon in the darkest night, shines a light upon the path...

Uganda on the brink of political anarchy, warns ANT’s Alice Alaso

Uganda on the brink of political anarchy, warns ANT’s Alice Alaso

by Muhamadi Matovu
September 30, 2023
0

The opposition in Uganda seeks to terminate President Museveni's regime due to issues such as incompetence, corruption, human rights abuses,...

Next Post
Makerere University staff vaccination for COVID-19 kicks off

Makerere University staff vaccination for COVID-19 kicks off

ADVERTISEMENT
Plugin Install : Widget Tab Post needs JNews - View Counter to be installed
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Capital Chicken: How Ugandans lost billions in non-existent  poultry rearing investment scheme

Capital Chicken: How Ugandans lost billions in non-existent  poultry rearing investment scheme

October 3, 2023
One killed over mosque wrangles in Entebbe

One killed over mosque wrangles in Entebbe

October 3, 2023
Uganda Golf Open returns

Uganda Golf Open returns

October 3, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Careers
Call us: +256-417-720-101
Email: [email protected]

© 2020 Nile Post Uganda Ltd. - A Next Media Services Company.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Politics
    • Security
      • Cyber Security
    • Health
      • Coronavirus outbreak
    • Education
    • Business
    • Tech
    • 2021 Elections Watch
      • The Election Podcast
    • Exclusive
    • Investigations
    • Reviews
  • Opinions
    • Columns
      • Parting Shot
      • Two Sides of a Coin
      • Bazanye’s Quick Shots
      • Mable Twegumye Zake’s #BitsOfMe&You
      • But this Year!
      • What Did I Miss?
  • Lifestyle
    • Hatmahz Kitchen
    • Food Hub
    • Let’s Talk About Sex
    • Entertainment
    • Tour & Travel
    • Love Therapist
    • Homes
  • Global
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • The Americas
    • East Africa
      • Kenya
      • Rwanda
      • Tanzania
      • South Sudan
      • DR Congo
      • Ethiopia
      • Sudan
  • Ask the Mechanic
  • Special Reports
    • Kabaka Mutebi’s 25th Coronation Series
    • Focus on Somalia
    • Sino-Africa
    • Uganda at 56
    • Anti-Corruption Fight
    • Age Limit Map
    • Tuve Ku Kaveera
  • Sports
    • Place-It
    • StarTimes Uganda Premier League
    • Bundesliga
    • World Cup
  • Jobs

© 2020 Nile Post Uganda Ltd. - A Next Media Services Company.