Coca-Cola Nigeria and its bottling partner, Nigerian Bottling Company, are opening a new product packaging site in Apapa, Lagos, to recycle and reduce plastic packaging waste, Packaging Gateway reported.
This new domestic hub will bolster the local economy while supporting plastic waste management and recycling efforts in the country.
Several years ago, Coca-Cola revealed that the company produced 3.3 million tons of plastic packaging annually. According to The Guardian, this amounted to over one-fifth of the global polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle output in 2017.
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In 2018, Coca-Cola announced its World Without Waste initiative, which intends to "collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can [the company] sells globally by 2030," the campaign's website reads.
This new sustainable packaging facility in Nigeria aligns closely with the campaign's mission.
According to Packaging Gateway, this facility will collect, sort, and recycle up to 14,330 tons of plastic each year, reducing the amount of virgin raw materials needed to produce new plastic bottles. This recycling effort can help limit the pollution of heat-trapping gases in the air from extracting and burning dirty fuels to produce virgin plastic.
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Coca-Cola is pursuing similar plastic waste management efforts in Asia and Canada's Great Lakes.
According to a Coca-Cola news release, the Coca-Cola System has already invested $1.5 billion in Nigeria over the past decade. This hub and future local endeavors represent an additional $1 billion investment in the country's economy over the next five years, creating more jobs for locals and supporting and empowering local communities.
"This facility represents a significant milestone in our journey of reducing waste by collecting and recycling our packaging in Nigeria," said Zoran Bogdanovic, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company CEO, per Packaging Gateway.
"Through collaboration with local and global partners, the Coca-Cola System will continue to … invest in local infrastructure like this hub, and engage with communities to help create a better shared future," said Luisa Ortega, president of Coca-Cola Africa Operating Unit, per Coca-Cola's news release.
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