As part of its sustained strategy of fostering a “World Without Waste”, The Coca-Cola Foundation, has recently partnered with Statewide Waste and Environmental Education Foundation (SWEEP) to start off its “Waste In The City” initiative across target communities.

“Waste In The City” was officially launched across communities in Surulere LGA, Coker-Aguda and Itire-Ikate LCDAs on Thursday, February 25th. The initiative funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation is a community-focused project aimed at unclogging blocked drainages and canals by extracting PET bottles, cans and other plastic waste, recycling them through accredited off-takers while providing economic empowerment for community youth and women. A total of 100 recycling receptacles and 10 tricycles will be deployed across these communities to ensure the collected PET bottles are evacuated in real time to aggregation centers for recycling.

Speaking on the initiative, Alfred Olajide, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, reiterated the company’s commitment to ensuring a waste-free world saying, “We want to make recycling more accessible to achieve 100% collection and recycling by 2030. Our goal is to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone we sell globally. To achieve this, we will continue to make our packaging 100% recyclable and work with varied stakeholders to ensure the bottles are collected and recycled”.

He expounded on the impact of the initiative on the community saying, “We are confident that this project will help communities identify and better understand how and where to recycle, further empowering over a 100 women and youth who will be able to earn a living from this project”.

“It will also help improve the existing collection and recycling systems. A litter-free world is possible and we at The Coca-Cola Company are leading the way to achieve this”, he added.

Also speaking on the “Waste In The City” project, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the First Lady of Lagos State remarked; “I am thankful to The Coca-Cola Foundation for supporting this initiative and also creating awareness within the targeted communities in Lagos state. I am glad to see citizens of the country ready to participate in tackling one of Nigeria’s major issues as this requires a lot of cooperation to change our nation. I believe the waste management problem can only be solved through collaboration and I am glad The Coca-Cola Foundation and SWEEP are championing this initiative. With initiatives like this, I truly believe Lagos is on its way to becoming waste free”.

Other notable dignitaries present at the launch event include: Executive Secretary, Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, Ms. Arese Onaghise; Representative of the LAWMA MD, Engr. Akinbulo Ayobami; Director Community Development, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Mrs. Sheriffa Ewumi-Dosunmu, and Vice Chairman Surulere Local Government Area, Hon. Muis Dosunmu.

Waste In The City is a three-part project encompassing mass mobilization and community advocacy, deployment of waste collection receptacles and provision of sustainable livelihood for community youth within the Surulere LGA, Coker-Aguda and Itire-Ikate LCDAs.

The Waste In The City initiative, developed by SWEEP Foundation and The Coca-Cola Foundation seeks to reduce the number of unemployed youths while effectively tackling plastic waste blocking the canals and drainages in Surulere. The initiative also increases awareness through community town-halls, increased participation of target communities in Environmental Education town-halls and promotion of sustainable plastic waste management at the community level.

Since its launch in 1984, The Coca-Cola Foundation’s donations to sustain local communities has reached $1 billion. The foundation offers community support programs that have led to the improvement of the quality of life of communities around the World. Driven by a need to create a better-shared future for the communities we live and work in, The Coca-Cola Foundation’s contributions have helped protect the environment, promote recycling, empower women and enhance communities around the world.