“The company has partnered with multiple agencies like Saahas, Chintan, American India Foundation, Mahila Sewa Trust (SEWA), Hasiru Dala Foundations for setting up self-sustaining waste management infrastructure and models, bringing about citizenship awareness and movements, improving livelihoods of waste workers, and women workers associated with the programmes by providing social security and dignity of labour.”
One of the three focus areas of Coca-Cola Company’s ESG (Environment, Sustainability and Governance) is recycling. The other two are related to water and sustainable agriculture.
Speaking to PTI, Coca-Cola India Vice President Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Devyani Rajya Laxmi Rana said the company’s focus was on recovery and recycling of bottles and cans, and not the Multi-Layered Plastic (MLP). MLP, a type of plastic used in packaging of food items such as chips, biscuits, chocolates and other snacks, is most difficult to recycle, she added.
“We are hopeful of achieving 100 per cent collection of bottles and cans for recycling in next 2-3 years. That is our internal target. In 2020, we had achieved 36 per cent.”
— Rajesh Ayapilla, Coca-Cola India Director (CSR and Sustainability for India and South West Asia)
Coca-Cola India Director (CSR and Sustainability for India and South West Asia) Rajesh Ayapilla said that about 62,825 tonnes of post-consumer packaging was recovered in 2020. We refilled or helped recover 36 per cent of bottles and cans, equivalent to what we introduced into the marketplace in India.”
The company through its focus on three fundamental goals — design, collect and partner — is laying emphasis on entire packaging lifecycle — from how bottles and cans are designed and produced to how they are recycled and repurposed. The company is making packaging more sustainable, including redesigning lightweight packaging, maximising use of recycled content and introducing innovative packaging, Ayapilla said. He also pointed out that the company, along with its partners, was working to develop sustainable, community-led programmes for integrated plastic waste management and promote efficient recycling in India.
The company has partnered with multiple agencies like Saahas, Chintan, American India Foundation, Mahila Sewa Trust (SEWA), Hasiru Dala Foundations for setting up self-sustaining waste management infrastructure and models, bringing about citizenship awareness and movements, improving livelihoods of waste workers, and women workers associated with the programmes by providing social security and dignity of labour, he said. With these efforts, Ayapilla said, “We are hopeful of achieving 100 per cent collection of bottles and cans for recycling in next 2-3 years. That is our internal target. In 2020, we had achieved 36 per cent.”
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