Coca-Cola and Perera & Sons pledge to ‘Give Back Life’ for PET plastic packaging

Saturday, 27 October 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Showcasing the end-to-end partnership between Coca-Cola, Eco Spindles and Perera & Sons with their community-based workforce at the P&S waste-segregation yard

Sustaining the momentum of its ‘Give Back Life’ PET plastic recycling campaign from the recently launched Colombo-Katunayake Expressway project in partnership with the Road Development Authority, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd., has joined hands with Perera & Sons and recycling partner Eco Spindles. Give Back Life PET collection bins have been placed at the Perera & Sons’ Havelock Town and Dambulla outlets, while also supporting the waste segregation yard located at Pita Kotte, initiated by Perera & Sons.

This end-to-end partnership between the three entities is aligned to Coca-Cola’s pledge to work with a host of partners in the coming years to deliver its ‘World Without Waste’ packaging vision, which includes collecting and recycling a bottle or can for everyone it sells globally by 2030 and its renewed focus on the entire packaging lifecycle. Coca-Cola is entering into such impactful partnerships and through the presence of conveniently located PET plastic collection bins spread the message to people – to hold onto their litter to be till it can be disposed appropriately for recycling, thereby generating an income and supporting the creation of new livelihoods. This new value chain in Sri Lanka benefits not alone the environment but supports new livelihoods, industries and communities. All the collected PET bottles will be recycled by Eco Spindles to produce yarn, brushes, etc., thus utilising the maximum value of PET.

Commenting on this initiative, Perera & Sons Executive Director Kamal Jaimon said, “We are pleased to launch this partnership with Coca-Cola and Eco Spindles which is beneficial for the environment, while encouraging customers at our Havelock Town and Dambulla outlets to dispose PET plastic packaging responsibly into the ‘Give Back Life’ bins, which we display proudly. Coca-Cola’s vision is very much in line with Perera & Sons as since 2017 we began PET plastic recycling and these were the initial steps in our journey to today’s waste segregation yard at our Pita Kotte branch. As an iconic food and beverage player in Sri Lanka which has the trust of several generations, it is our duty to do better through such new initiatives. By being able to give new life to PET plastic packaging, we are a proud partner in Coca-Cola’s vision of a World without waste and look forward to scaling the collection bin network across our other outlets too soon.”