Got my name printed on the personalized bottle label. Hi there, Shannena! ✈️

With all the news that we could read online, on television and on newsprint these past few weeks, our only home visibly needs urgent attention. As one of its boarders, we know that each one of us has that big role to portray in saving it from destruction. The question is, how and where should we start?

One of today’s leading global brand, Coca-cola recognizes that packaging waste is one of the major problems that our world is facing today as seen in every day-to-day consumer purchase. With their influence, they spearheaded the set up of their own World Without Waste campaign where they will collect and recycle every bottle or can through these three pillars: Design, Collect, Partner.

Partner: One, Together

Goal: Work together with like-minded individuals and groups to support a healthy, debris-free environment and oceans.

To bring people together in spreading and reaching the goals, they have partnered with a number of government/ private units for some platforms, and the media for the faster and wider time-bounded campaign. They also tap the youth through environmental summits and activities such as hackathons, dubbed Hackapack where they can come up with ways to curb the waste problem in their own communities.

“Our World Without Waste initiative may be an ambitious goal, but it is possible to achieve if all stakeholders- from the government, industry partners, to our consumers-would participate” said Atty. Tanada. “With this long-term partnership with the Davao LGU, and with the hope of enjoining all Davaoenos to take part in this initiative, the possibilities are limitless.”

Collect: Leading the Movement

Goal: To collect the equivalent of every bottle and can that they see by 2030.

The executives leading the movement.

“Today, we are also launching the #betterbottlechallenge,” said Atty. Juan Lorenzo Tanada, CCBPI Public and Corporate Affairs Director. ” We want to illustrate and emphasize that used PET bottles are not trash and therefore, these should not end up littering the streets, landfills, or polluting our waterways. They have value beyond their initial use, as long as we properly segregate and dispose them. In this case, throw them into our collection bins so they become better bottles, once they are recycled.”

For the Davaoenos, Coca-cola has set up World Without Waste installations- spaces that feature the beverage brand’s iconic bottle collection bin, benches made from 1,000 recycled PET bottles each, and a collection bin made from 600 recycled PET bottles, in five major parks: People’s Park, Rizal Park, Botanical, Magsaysay Park, and Sta. Ana Wharf. Sixty (60) bins were also donated by Coca-cola to several smaller parks around the city.

Design: rPet is the Future

Goals: Make all of our packaging 100% recyclable by 2025, and work toward using an average of 50% recycled content in our packaging by 2030.

Sample recycled materials.

Your bottles could also turn into shirts.

Winder Recycling– a Davao-based partner of Coca-cola for this endeavor will be transforming these post-consumer PET bottles into school chairs, benches and even trash bins-making sure they don’t lose value.

These recycled plastic chairs are guaranteed to last up to 20 years- at least five years longer than the normal lifespan of wooden chairs. Winchester O. Lemen, Managing Partner of Winder Recycling Company said, ” We are proud to partner with Coca-cola here in Davao City, in working for solutions to the urgent waste problem. Clearly, Coca-cola’s support of the local recycling industry is, I believe, proof positive that the company is walking the talk and that they are making considerable strides in making their vision of a World Without Waste possible in Davao City.”

With each initiative, Coca-cola strives to continue working closely with its partners in Davao to create a more sustainable system that will help the city grow and thrive, and become a World Without Waste model to emulate across the entire country.