Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka (CCBSL), in partnership with Coca-Cola India and the International Cricket Council (ICC), brought the recycled PET national flag initiative to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, spanning both co-host nations. The national flags of all 20 participating nations, proudly displayed during the national anthem ceremony at match venues, were crafted entirely from post-consumer recycled PET bottles, discarded plastic transformed into towering symbols of national identity and sporting pride.

The initiative traced its origins to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, when Coca-Cola India became the first company to introduce recycled PET national flags in cricket, an achievement later recognised by the Limca Book of Records. Expanded at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 held across the USA and West Indies, each flag measuring an extraordinary 35 metres by 20 metres was crafted from approximately 11,000 post-consumer PET bottles, converted into recycled polyester fabric and yarn by specialist recycling partners.

That legacy took on heightened significance. With Sri Lanka serving as a co-host for the first time since 2012, the flags that flew at venues including R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy represented something beyond cricket, a shared commitment that the world's biggest sporting stages carry a responsibility that extends well beyond the game.

“The communities and environments we operate in across Sri Lanka are not just a context for our business; they are our responsibility. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup gave us a rare and very public opportunity to act on that. These flags were made from discarded plastic bottles. When they were raised during a national anthem, in front of millions of people, that is responsible business taking centre stage, and that is exactly where it belongs,” said Mario Perera, Country Head – Sri Lanka & The Maldives, The Coca-Cola Company.

Anurag Dahiya, ICC Chief Commercial Officer, added: “Delivering a world-class tournament experience extends beyond the action on the field. Through our collaboration with Coca-Cola and the #MaidaanSaaf initiative, we continue to support cleaner venues and responsible practices while encouraging fans to play an active role in large sporting events.”

The recycled PET flag initiative forms part of Coca-Cola's broader global sustainability commitments, which include a target to make all primary packaging recyclable by 2025 and to incorporate 50% recycled material across its packaging portfolio by 2030. Locally, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka continues to advance sustainable practices across its operations, reinforcing the message that responsible stewardship of resources is inseparable from the business of sport.