Plastic waste will be put to good use as an alternative fuel in cement production thanks to a new partnership between Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) and Hima Cement Limited.
As part of the partnership which has been formalized in a memorandum of understanding, CCBU will provide Hima Cement access to plastic waste from its operations for handling and disposal through Hima’s waste management business, Geocycle.
Geocycle offers safe and sustainable waste management solutions applying the internationally recognised technology of co-processing.
The partnership is designed to end the lifestyle of PET waste collected from the environment.
CCBU will provide Hima Cement with waste from it’s recycling process to be used in their heating processes in the cement kiln leaving no residue.
The two companies will also collaborate in awareness creation for proper waste management through communications.
Kirunda Magoola, CCBU Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director, said it is important that plastic waste is managed properly through a collaboration that educates Ugandans on the importance of plastic waste recycling and disposal.
“At CCBA, we are leading the industry in making our value chain increasingly sustainable in the way that we manufacture our products, how we distribute them and how we sell them. We have the scale and reach to make a real difference, and we’re using our leadership position to drive change and help put our planet on a more sustainable path. We can’t do it alone. We work with stakeholders, nonprofits, communities, governments and
our industry toward a clean environment," Magoola said.
“We are working in our communities to educate people on why and how to recycle through
consumer campaigns, on-package messaging and more to create a healthier environment for
all. Tackling the global plastic waste crisis requires cross-sector collaboration and alignment on
common principles and targets. We work with a range of stakeholders at a regional and local
level. This includes partnering with governments and community organisations to strengthen
recycling infrastructure and boost collection rates, collaborating with customers, peers and
industry associations to shape public policy that supports a circular economy; and teaming up
with suppliers, startups and partners to fuel sustainable packaging innovation."
According to Magoola, CCBU is in infrastructure and exploring how to support additional recycled PET
capacity in Uganda.
Jean-Michel Pons, the Hima Cement Country CEO, said: “As part of our decarbonization and circular economy approach, we utilize materials at the end of their lifecycle as alternative fuels, such as industrial wastes like plastics and agricultural wastes like biomass, thus reducing the carbon intensity of our cement while offering a unique solution to waste challenges.”
“This is an existential threat that we must tackle as a unit. It cannot be the responsibility of a single person or organisation. Everybody must get involved,” he added.
According to Pons, Hima Cement will, among others, get involved in plastic waste awareness programmes, provide access to its trucks in transportation of waste as well as engage in networking opportunities with
affiliate companies and organisations in the plastic recycling sector to support CCBU’s initiatives
related to environmental restoration.
