Coca-Cola determined to make Global Citizen the world’s cleanest concert 

Coca-Cola has announced its ambitious goal of collecting and recycling every bottle and can they sell by 2030, through an initiative coined World Without Waste.

The beverage giant has partnered with Global Citizen, an annual music concert organised by the Global Poverty Project, which will see over 100,000 people in attendance, to bring the initiative to life. All bottles and cans used at the festival will be recycled.

It has also joined forces with PET recycling company PETCO, Pikitup, and female ‘waste-preneurs’ to assist with the Global Citizen festival, and will provide income for women involved in the recycling sector.

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Maserame Mouyeme, representative for public affairs, communications, and sustainability at Coca-Cola Southern & East Africa, said: “For us at Coca-Cola, there is only so much we can do alone. We need the help of people and partners to make recycling a habit. It’s about educating people on the importance of a clean environment and what they can do to make recycling a profitable and sustainable industry.”

PETCO, which was co-created with Coca-Cola, and organisations committed to reducing plastic pollution plaguing our oceans, are working tirelessly to a foster healthy, debris-free environment.

The South African plastic industry recycled 2.15 billion PET plastic bottles last year, with the country seeing a dramatic increase in PET recycling. In 2000, plastic recycling was in the single digits. In 2017, this figure increased by a whopping 65%, which is close to European recycling rates, and exceeds recycling in the US by more than 20%.

The recycling industry has also generated 64,000 income-generated opportunities for waste pickers, collectors and recyclers. Collected PET amounting to 93,235 tonnes has freed up 578,000m³ of landfill space, and 139,000 tonnes of carbon.

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