The brand that is synonymous globally with Christmas and the holidays, Coca-Cola brought the holiday cheer to every home in Sri Lanka by offering its clear glass tumbler free with every Classic Coke and Sprite PET bottle of 1.5 or 2 litres, until stocks last.

To kick-start the holiday season and celebrate the spirit of Christmas, Coca-Cola Sri Lanka brought back the much-loved glass tumbler, which is reminiscent of the original glass bottles sold by The Coca-Cola Company. For the past few weeks, Coca-Cola has been able to share the real magic of the Christmas holidays with consumers and continue the tradition of celebrating the unstoppable force of the season in bringing people together. The glass tumbler, which is available in modern and general trade stores islandwide, until stocks last, is a must have for fans of Coca-Cola, especially for those who have been collecting similar Coca-Cola tumblers over the years.

On the occasion of the Christmas holidays, Coca-Cola Sri Lanka organized a number of activities for its consumers to get into the festive mood as they closed out the year. The Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan visited several locations across the Western province from 10^th to 30^thDecember bringing holiday cheer to thousands of consumers residing in Colombo as well as in the suburban areas from Moratuwa all the way up to Wennappuwa. Consumers took home exciting prizes and surprises by participating in fun activities such as the digital spin the wheel, and the “Share your wishes” giveaway, while a Virtual Reality (VR) gaming stall allowed them to immerse themselves in high-tech games.

In the season of giving, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) has also commenced the ‘Say We Care’ initiative, a country-wide drive to provide much-needed support to 6,000+ vulnerable Sri Lankan families struggling to survive due to the ongoing economic crisis. The initiative has already commenced distributing relief packs that will support these families for approximately two months among some of the hardest-hit communities in the most vulnerable parts across the island across nineteen locations in ten districts.

Coca-Cola has been a part of Christmas festivities globally for several decades. Coca-Cola’s warm-hearted and rosy-cheeked Santa Claus is a significant Christmas icon that brings joy into the lives of millions of people around the world. As the trucks roll into towns, villages and communities worldwide, they bring with them the seasonal joy for millions of consumers. By tying up with various social service and welfare organizations, the Coca-Cola Caravan has also become a beacon for goodness, reminding people of the season of giving during the Christmas holidays.

Coca-Cola has played its part in bringing back the smiles to the faces of all Sri Lankans and invites all consumers to take home real magic to their loved ones with the the Coca-Cola glass tumbler, available with every purchase of 1.5 or 2 litre Classic Coke and Sprite PET bottles, available in general and modern trade stores islandwide until stocks last.

Coca-Cola Sri Lanka was awarded under the ‘Best Sustainability Projects’ category for its ‘Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs): Revolutionizing waste management in Sri Lanka’ and ‘Access to Water for Agriculture and Livelihoods for women in the Moneragala district’ (WALK) projects at the eagerly-awaited ‘Best Corporate Citizen Awards 2022’. Organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the prestigious awards recognize best practices of corporates relating to environmental, social, and economic sustainability while pursuing corporate goals.

MRFs is a unique initiative recognized for the first time, and is a highly valued award for Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka (CCBSL) which established the country’s first-ever comprehensive MRFs; a community-centric, replicable and sustainable model providing a ground-breaking solution to key waste management issues identified in Sri Lanka.

The project contributes to Coca-Cola’s ‘World Without Waste’ sustainability goal in Sri Lanka and the local waste management program ‘Give Back Life’ – To ‘Collect and Recycle a Bottle for each one we sell by 2030’.

Coca-Cola was also awarded a ‘Best Sustainability Project’ Award for the second time for its ‘Water Stewardship’ initiatives through the W.A.L.K project, This project was funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and implemented by NGO ACTED in collaboration with local Farmers Organisations. The project rehabilitated the Samurdhi water tank in Galahitiya village, Monaragala, enabling a replenishment capacity of 285,054 KL annually.

Lakshan Madurasinghe – Regional Lead: PACS Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan said: “Access to water plays a critical role in ensuring equitable and sustainable opportunities in rural communities where agriculture is the main livelihood. This project supports the pressing needs of farmers in the Monaragala District, Uva Province, which is the poorest region of Sri Lanka, with 15.4% of the population living below the poverty line. We are also happy that WALK has contributed to Coca-Cola Sri Lanka giving back twice the amount of water it uses for the production of its beverages, to communities and nature, surpassing its global goal to achieve water neutrality.”

WALK has ensured that an additional 100 acres of paddy field can be cultivated during both the dry and wet season, as well as 150 acres for field crops such as maize and vegetables. Water pumps were also distributed to farmers as a mitigation measure to offset the impacts of periods of low rainfall, thus rendering the community more resilient to droughts, changing weather patterns and climate change. WALK improved the livelihoods of 1,769 farmers, including women farmers.

Coca-Cola Sri Lanka remains committed to its purpose to create a more sustainable and better shared future by making a difference in people’s lives, communities and the planet by doing business the right way.

The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) has stepped forward with funding to help 6,000 vulnerable Sri Lankan families struggling due to the ongoing economic crisis through the ‘Say We Care’ initiative which will be delivering much-needed food essential packs across the island.

The initiative will distribute relief packs that will last approximately two months among some of the hardest-hit communities in the most vulnerable parts across the island. The vulnerable families are in nine districts, namely Gampaha, Kalutara, Colombo, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Mannar, Vavuniya, Moneragala, and Nuwara Eliya. These families have been identified through a screening process with the assistance of Implementing Partner Sevalanka Foundation, a Voluntary Social Services Organization under the Ministry of Social Services, and the various local government authorities in each region.

The economic crisis has negatively affected many urban, suburban and rural low and middle income families across the island. Amidst such a backdrop, in September 2022, a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) revealed that an estimated 6.3 million people in Sri Lanka are facing moderate to severe acute food insecurity, and their situation is expected to worsen if adequate life-saving assistance and livelihood support is not provided. This situation has further worsened over the last few months with the food inflation rate as high as 85.6% in October 2022 and 73.7% in November 2022. Most of these families have begun to reduce the number of meals to two or even one meal per day, and limit portion sizes while the nutrition value of the meals have been significantly compromised due to the high prices and unavailability of various food items.

Each relief pack will consist of dry rations and a few hygiene and medical related household items that would support these families. The vulnerable groups in the community specifically targeted by this project include pregnant and lactating mothers, children (with forms of under nutrition including particularly malnutrition), persons with disabilities, single-parent families/women-headed households, low-income households, households with large number of dependents, heads of households without livelihoods, and households heavily reliant on unskilled and daily labourers.

Saadia Madsbjerg, President of The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) stated, “We have a long history of supporting local communities in a sustainable and responsible manner during difficult times. Supporting this ‘Say We Care’ initiative is the latest in our list of collective efforts that aim to bring about a positive difference in the lives of vulnerable communities.”

Recently, The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) also provided funding to Sri Lanka Red Cross Society and other partners for interventions which enabled recovery and rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, The Coca-Cola Foundation provided LKR 110 million combating COVID-19 impacted areas of the island.

Coca-Cola Sri Lanka is introducing Large Returnable Glass Bottles (LRGB) named as the “Big Buddy Pack” with a new design and a refreshed look to enhance the experience and provide an affordable option to consumers. The new Big Buddy Bottle is positioned to be both good for the pocket as well as the planet.

The Coca-Cola glass bottle possesses one of the most renowned shapes in the world thanks to its iconic contour fluted lines. It has been acclaimed globally as a design classic and celebrated in art, music and advertising for decades. The contour-shaped bottle will always be associated with Coca-Cola, but the company continues to innovate and evolve to meet its consumer needs.

As a total beverage company, Coca-Cola is providing more choices to consumers when selecting the type and size of packaging to suit their lifestyle and occasion. Amidst the challenging economic times in Sri Lanka, the LRGB Big Buddy Pack ensures consumers can enjoy Coca-Cola at an affordable price point of Rs 180/ and the Big Buddy with 0.75 litre of beverage. This will be the perfect companion for family mealtimes as it provides up to 04 glasses of refreshing Coke, Fanta or Sprite, which will be immediately available in the Western Province and other regions thereafter.

Managing Director of Coca-Cola Sri Lanka & Maldives, Pankaj Sinha stated, “The Coca-Cola Company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We offer responsible choices to our consumers by curating a portfolio of meaningful brands and flavours including reduced or sugar free options through a variety of convenient packaging sizes. The 750 ML Big Buddy pack is a major step in making the Company’s purpose come to life in Sri Lanka. Its affordable in these trying times and is differentiated with a unique refillable glass bottle, paper labels and aluminium cap. The Big Buddy Bottle will allow consumers of Coca-Cola, especially the millennial generations who grew up enjoying Coke in glass bottles, to take a trip down memory lane and once again immerse in this unique glass bottle experience. For younger generations, it will be a whole new way of enjoying their favourite refreshing beverage.”

Coca-Cola Sri Lanka has steadily built up its product portfolio over the years with the aim of providing responsible choices to consumers. Its carefully curated brands include the Classic Coke, Sprite, and Fanta, all of which are now available in a variety of convenient packaging sizes - RGB, PET and now LRGB. Coca-Cola has also delivered innovation of flavors to consumers through Fanta Cream Soda, Fanta Portello and its selection of reduced or sugar-free beverages such as Coke Zero and Kinley Soda.

Managing Director of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd, Deepak Senthil Nath stated, “All Coca-Cola LRGB bottles are transparent, making the appearance sleeker and cleaner. They are more convenient for consumers to return after. With one bottle being able to be refilled multiple times, it makes glass bottles a re-useable form of packaging. The first batch of LRGB bottles will offer consumers a taste of Coke, Fanta and Sprite with more brands to be offered in LRGB.”

The Coca-Cola Company celebrates 61 years in Sri Lanka having first launched in the island in 1961. During the past six decades the company has won the hearts and minds of millions of consumers through the introduction of Trademark Coca-Cola, followed by a wide range of other brands. Coca-Cola has invested in the future of its business, demonstrating long-term commitment to the island nation by investing as much as US$ 99 million over the past two decades. The company’s economic value creation has helped to create over thousands of jobs in the local workforce to benefit the economy, in addition to the 80,000+ trade outlet vendors that generates revenue from the sale of its beverages.

Over the years, Coca-Cola has commenced several successful sustainability initiatives in Sri Lanka.  Coca-Cola remains focused in creating a more sustainable and better shared future by making a difference in people's lives, communities and the planet by doing business the right way. The company achieves this through its sustainability initiatives on packaging recycling, water replenishment, and ensuring the well-being of local communities, including women empowerment programs. The launch of the new Large Returnable Glass Bottles further amplifies it sustainability focus and aims to provide Sri Lankan consumers a refreshing affordable beverage to enjoy during meals with friends and families.

(L-R) Lakshan Madurasinghe – Regional Lead Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability (Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan), Thamari Senanayake – Director Communications & Sustainability (Sri Lanka), Deepak Senthil Nath – Managing Director of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd, Pankaj Sinha – Managing Director of Coca-Cola Sri Lanka & Maldives, Anoja Ratnasabapathy – Country Marketing Lead (Sri Lanka & Maldives), Sara Kaur – Coca-Cola, Director Communications India & South West Asia

Pankaj Sinha, Managing Director of Coca-Cola Sri Lanka & Maldives and Mr. Deepak Senthil Nath Managing Director of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd. unveils the Big Buddy pack in Sri Lanka

Pankaj Sinha, Managing Director of Coca-Cola Sri Lanka & Maldives and Mr. Deepak Senthil Nath Managing Director of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd. in conversation about the Large Returnable Glass Bottle

Coca-Cola marked International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day 2022 with a clean-up at the Crow Island Beach Park. This year’s event is of greater significance to Coca-Cola as it also marks the completion of one year since the company embarked on a ground-breaking ‘Adopt a Beach’ program at the Crow Island beach in partnership with Clean Ocean Force (COF), a non-profit working towards eliminating plastic, manmade pollutants, and debris from the beaches of Sri Lanka.

The event was graced by the presence of US Ambassador to Sri Lanka H.E Julie J. Chung together with Pankaj Sinha, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Sri Lanka & Maldives and Deepak Senthil Nath, Managing Director/CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd. (CCBSL) along with many volunteers from Coca-Cola in Sri Lanka, Clean Ocean Force (COF), and Coca-Cola’s PET collection partners. This event also had the participation of several government organisations such as the Ministry of Local Government and Environment, Sri Lanka Environmental Police, and the Municipal Council of Colombo along with the participation of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AmCham), its member companies and officials and colleagues from the US Embassy in Sri Lanka.

ICC engages people from across the globe to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways with the support of volunteer organizations and individuals. For over 35 years, 17 million volunteers have joined the International Coastal Cleanup to collect more than 350 million pounds of plastic and debris while also recording what they find and helping inform research and legislation across the world.

This was Sri Lanka’s first-ever corporate sustainability initiative that was based on the concept of adopting a beach for a prolonged period and ensuring it would be cleaned daily. The initial success of the ‘Adopt a Beach’ program meant that it was expanded in recent months to cover five additional polluted beaches and three lagoon boundaries along the Negombo coastline (Kammalthota, Palangathuraya, Kudapaduwa, Wellavidiya, Kuttiduwa, Munnakaraya, Mahavidiya, Kadolkale) all of which have been cleaned on a daily and some bi-weekly basis to date. Since the pilot phase of the project tens of thousands of trash has been successfully removed from multiple beacheas and waterways.

“Sharing her views, US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, H.E Julie J. Chung stated, “I am grateful to Coca Cola Sri Lanka for inviting me to participate along with Embassy colleagues in cleaning Crow Island Beach.  Nothing connects the peoples of the world like our oceans, and it was great to be part of this global effort.  I truly enjoyed my first beach clean-up in Sri Lanka, sharing the passion and experience with Clean Ocean Force plus volunteers from businesses, government, and the local community.  I especially appreciated the chance to contribute alongside the dedicated women’s community force of Clean Ocean Force which Coca-Cola funds to protect and clean these beaches and recycle the plastic waste every day, while improving their livelihoods.”

Coca-Cola has a long history of working with local stakeholders and the community to spearhead cleanup initiatives. The ongoing 'Adopt A Beach' initiative highlights Coca-Cola’s commitment towards a 'World Without Waste' which is The Coca-Cola Company’s sustainable packaging initiative which includes a goal to collect and recycle a bottle or can for each one it sells by 2030. This waste management program is locally initiated as 'Give Back Life' and connects multiple stakeholders such as waste collectors, recyclers, local governments, civil society, youth groups and the private sector to create an efficient collection and recycling system for PET plastic bottles across the country.

Managing Director Coca-Cola Sri Lanka & Maldives Pankaj Sinha stated, “With over 70 clean-up initiatives conducted in Sri Lanka since 2017, Coca-Cola has engaged the community in raising awareness about the need for disposing waste in a responsible manner. As we celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Day 2022, we can proudly look back at our significant contribution towards keeping litter away from Sri Lanka's beautiful beaches and waterways and are well-positioned to continue to make an impact as we all battle to keep our environment clean.”

Chairman/Founder of Clean Ocean Force Jerome Fernando commented, “Clean Ocean Force's clean-up model works towards getting the support of the local community to voluntarily work for 3-4 hours every morning as we believe that a daily mechanism is vital to keep our beaches, oceans and other waterways free from waste. With the support and funding by Coca-Cola, our very first corporate partner, we have been able to achieve outstanding results so far. We have been able to provide direct livelihood for over 40 individuals from low-income communities and over 80 others indirectly.”

The Clean Ocean Force team collaborates with organizations and Governmental bodies to clean the beaches and waterways of Sri Lanka by involving local communities, drawing both volunteers and a task force to tackle the issue of plastic. Ove the years, Coca-Cola's approach of establishing partnerships with key stakeholders in order to overcome the challenge of environmental pollution across Sri Lanka has delivered outstanding results, and this is one of many.

Coca-Cola was honoured to host the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, H.E Julie J. Chung at the Coca-Cola Beverages factory in Biyagama recently. The Ambassador observed the Coca-Cola operations in Sri Lanka and commended the positive impact the brand has had on the economy and local community for the last 61 years. The Ambassador was taken on a tour of the plant operations and was given a taste of how the beverages that we all know and love are bottled in the island along with Coca-Cola’s journey and the strong presence in the country. Coca-Cola was also given the opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact created by their multiple strategic corporate sustainability initiatives ongoing in Sri Lanka.

 Coca-Cola has been refreshing the nation since 1961 and has won the hearts and minds of millions of consumers across the island. Coca-Cola has invested in the future of its business, demonstrating long-term commitment to Sri Lanka by investing as much as US$ 100+ million over the past two decades. The company’s economic value creation has helped to create over thousands of jobs in the local workforce to benefit the economy, in addition to the 80,000+ trade outlet vendors that generates revenue from the sale of beverages.

Further, Coca-Cola has gone beyond providing beverage options by initiating several successful public and private partnerships with a total investment of hundreds of millions of rupees for Sustainability Initiatives in Sri Lanka under their four pillars for A World Without Waste, Water Stewardship, Well-being of Local Communities and Climate Action. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a contribution of Rs. 115 million was made to strengthen the national response of combating the Coronavirus. During the visit, Coca-Cola reassured the US Ambassador that they will continue to fulfil Coca-Cola’s purpose in the country which is to ‘Refresh Sri Lanka and Make a Difference’.

With a vision of “Loved brands, done sustainably, for a better shared future”, Coca-Cola pledges to craft the brands and choices of drinks that people love while creating a more sustainable business and better shared future that makes a difference in people’s lives, communities, and the planet.

The average household uses a large number of PET plastic packaging for soft drinks, sanitizers, mouthwash, handwash, beauty products, juice, air fresheners, dishwashing liquid, medicine, cooking products as well as biscuit trays. Coca-Cola in Sri Lanka encourages the public to ensure that the many recyclable PET plastic packaging available at home are responsibly disposed even during these difficult times.

Verifying if a plastic item can be recycled is simple and can be done by checking the plastic identification code located at the bottom or on the side of the package. Plastic identification codes with number “1” on them are fully recyclable PET products. By using this simple method, anyone can easily collect all plastic bottles with the number “1” code at home and dispose of them at the nearest ‘Give Back Life’ bin. By downloading the Waste2Value app, the nearest bin can be located and all PET plastic can be dropped off easily.

Thamari Senanayake, Director- Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited stated, “As a socially responsible company, we strongly believe that PET plastic is not waste but has inherent value and should be responsibly discarded. Educating and empowering people to do this is key and we are proud to have conducted over 100 awareness sessions, reaching over 10,000 people across 12 districts. We request citizens to spread the word as well to ensure that we reduce pollution caused by PET plastic and instead “Give Back Life” to PET plastic by recycling it with Eco-Spindles Pvt. Ltd. into value added items such cleaning brushes, brooms or recycled polyester yarn for clothing. With your help, we can become a cleaner island nation.”

Through Give Back Life programme, Coca-Cola is voluntarily contributing to the ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ initiative which aims to increase plastic waste collection and recycling to minimize plastic pollution, recently launched by the Ministry of Environment and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

With funding from The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF), Coca-Cola Sri Lanka has joined several local partners to implement various initiatives and to conduct trainings, awareness sessions and projects on PET plastic recovery and recycling. Together with implementing partner Solidaridad Network Asia, Coca-Cola partnered with The Central Environmental Authority to develop a significant repository of education and awareness material with a comprehensive trilingual training manual on PET and plastics waste management. Partnered with The Asia Foundation, Coca-Cola has developed a training handbook for ‘Establishing a Sustainable Model for PET Bottle Recycling in Partnership with Local Government Authorities in Sri Lanka’. Further collaborations with other key partners include Enviro, Clean Ocean Force, Sevanatha Urban Resource Center, Janathakshan (Gte) Ltd, and The Rotaract club of Pearl Island island-wide.

Coca-Cola in Sri Lanka affirms its commitment to collection and recycling of PET plastic through its Give Back Life programme and continuously drives awareness sessions with over 125+ partnerships and 510+ PET collection bins placed across the country at strategic locations including supermarkets, temples, highways and other locations to support the collection and clean-up programs throughout the year and assisting in the installation of Material Recovery Facilities and Regional Collection Centres across the island dedicated to recover PET bottles.

This initiative has helped to reduce PET plastic pollution in Sri Lanka, protecting the environment while supporting the national economy. The company actively expands on supporting livelihood driving opportunities for local communities while contributing much needed foreign exchange earnings which in turn leads towards creating a circular economy. Coca-Cola requests every Sri Lankan to support this initiative by collecting all PET bottles at home, and disposing it responsibly, to ensure everyone actively ‘Gives Back Life’ to all PET plastic in Sri Lanka.

The locally initiated 'Give Back Life' programme is a part of 'World Without Waste,' which aims to collect and recycle a bottle or a can for each one the company sells by 2030. World Without Waste, is The Coca-Cola Company’s ambitious sustainable packaging initiative which aims to create systemic change through a circular economy for its packaging alongside bottling partners. The World Without Waste strategy has signaled a renewed focus on the company’s entire packaging lifecycle, from how bottles and cans are designed and produced to how they’re recycled and repurposed through a focus on three fundamental areas: design, collect and partner.

Coca-Cola is celebrating World Ocean Day 2022 by extending its ground-breaking ‘Adopt a Beach’ program that was launched in October 2021 at the Crow Island beach. This was Sri Lanka’s first-ever corporate sustainability initiative that was driven with the idea of adopting a beach for a prolonged period and ensuring it would be cleaned daily, till the end of 2022.

The expansion of this unique program goes on to cover five additional polluted beaches and three lagoon boundaries along the Negombo coastline (Kammalthota, Palangathuraya, Kudapaduwa, Wellavidiya, Kuttiduwa, Munnakaraya, Mahavidiya, Kadolkale) all of which will be cleaned on a daily and some bi-weekly basis for one year. This latest phase of this program extends Coca-Cola’s ongoing partnership with Clean Ocean Force (COF), a non-profit based in Sri Lanka working towards eliminating plastic, manmade pollutants and debris from the beaches of Sri Lanka on a daily basis with their unique private/public operating mechanism.

In keeping with this year’s United Nations World Oceans Day theme of ‘Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean’ the beach clean-up was officially kicked off with a launch event held recently at the Wellavidiya beach in Negombo with the enthusiastic participation of a large number of COF Community volunteers from Negombo, teams from  Coca-Cola, Sri Vimukthi women’s and youth association, Ministry of local government and environment, waste management authority, Negombo municipal council, MEPA, and Sri Lanka Police Environmental division.

The commencement of the Negombo beach clean-up initiative highlights Coca-Cola’s commitment towards a World Without Waste which is The Coca-Cola Company’s sustainable packaging initiative to collect and recycle a bottle or can for everyone it sells by 2030. This waste management program is locally initiated as 'Give Back Life' and connects multiple stakeholders such as waste collectors, recyclers, local governments, civil society, youth groups and the private sector to create an efficient collection and recycling system for PET plastic bottles across the country.

Thishanthi Fernando and Ashanthi Shiromi from the on-ground support in Negombo stated that they have been a part of this cause for 1.5 years, and further commented that, “With the help of awareness programs, many people understood that this goes beyond cleaning a beach. Today, our livelihoods are positively impacted, and we are more aware about recycling and repurposing plastics in our neighborhood. Thanks to Coca-Cola and Clean Ocean Force organizations scaling this program and giving additional support, we are women in society who can make a living for themselves.”

Pankaj Sinha - Managing Director Coca-Cola Sri Lanka & Maldives stated, “. Since 2017, Coca-Cola in Sri Lanka have carried out over 70 beach clean-up initiatives across the island and raised awareness about the need for disposing litter in a responsible manner. Following the successful pilot project at Crow Island, we are honored to extend the ‘Adopt A Beach’ program in partnership with Clean Ocean Force. We believe that this will make a difference to the beaches adopted and that this sustained approach with the support of numerous stakeholders will positively impact the society in community building and also the livelihood of its people.”

Jerome Fernando – Chairman/ Founder of Clean Ocean Force commented, “At Clean Ocean Force, we believe that a daily mechanism is vital to keep our beaches and ocean free from plastic waste. That is why our beach clean-up model focuses on getting the support of the local community to voluntarily work for 3-4 hours every morning. Coca-Cola stepped forward when we needed support to continue this initiative and joined hands with us to deliver great results where over 11,500 kgs of trash has been removed so far during the pilot phase of the project. We are now pleased to extend this partnership with Coca-Cola and scale-up our operations to clean 8 more beaches and waterways in the Negombo area. While enhancing the cleanliness of these beaches and reducing marine pollution, this project will also provide direct livelihood for over 40 individuals from low-income communities, and over 80 others indirectly.”

The Clean Ocean Force team collaborates with organizations and Governmental bodies to clean the beaches of Sri Lanka by involving local communities, drawing both volunteers and a task force to tackle the issue of plastic.

In light of World Environment Day, the all-new Eko Plasco Material Recovery Facility (MRF) was launched by Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd (CCBSL) and Eco Spindles Pvt Ltd on the 8^th of June 2022 in Wadduwa. The facility was opened under the auspices of Chief Guest Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment. The MRF was introduced to support waste management, and to give back meaningful life to plastic waste through recycling, whilst helping to create awareness on responsible plastic disposal.

A MRF is a solid waste management facility that processes recyclable materials such as PET plastic and sells them to manufacturers as raw materials for the creation of new products. Plastic waste is collected via a wide bin and bag collection network, and then sent to the MRF where it is segregated and processed through machinery such as balers and crushers. The baler compresses the plastic into compact bales, which makes it easier to store and transport, while the crusher machine crushes the plastic into granules adding value to the waste prior to it being sold to recyclers.

MRF’s create a positive impact on the development of a circular economy, which is a model which minimizes waste, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and extends the useful life of products and materials. These facilities also help create auxiliary industries such as waste collection which create livelihood opportunities for surrounding communities. The Eko Plasco MRF will act as a catalyst to help educate people on household waste segregation and responsible waste disposal at key locations where plastic collection bins and bags have been established, including at schools, beaches, and other public & private institutions.

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment commented: “I am happy to see private sector organisations such as Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka & Eco Spindles contribute significantly to the waste management infrastructure in Sri Lanka. Initiatives like the Eko Plasco MRF are of paramount importance as they complement the upcoming national voluntary Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiative by the Government of Sri Lanka.”

Mr. Mayank Arora, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka noted: “The Eko Plasco facility was opened as part of our ‘Give Back Life’ programme which is line with the company’s global commitment towards a ‘World Without Waste’ with a goal to Collect and Recycle an equivalent of every bottle sold by Coca-Cola by 2030. Investing in MRFs in partnership with Eco Spindles, will greatly scale up our waste collection efforts, and align with the national voluntary EPR initiative that will be launched very soon. We are also happy to announce that we intend to establish 6 more MRF’s in the near future with funding support from The Coca-Cola Foundation together with Eco Spindles and our implementing partner Janathakshan.”

The facility will collect approximately 10,000kg of plastic every month via collection points and after processing, will be sent over to Eco Spindles, Sri Lanka’s largest plastics recycler, whose synthetic yarn production facility is also one of the only two plants in the world with the capability to create yarn directly from flakes. Eco Spindles converts the material into yarn & monofilaments which are used to manufacture household items such as brooms, brushes, and textiles and exports these products to over 15 countries. The yarn was notably used to create the uniform recently worn by the Sri Lankan Cricket Team.

Mr. Manoj Udawatte, Chief Executive Officer of Eco Spindles Recycling shared his thoughts on the project “Partnering with CCBSL has enabled us to set up our first MRFs and strengthen the process of waste collection and recycling. The Eko Plasco facility in Wadduwa is a testament to this and we hope to open at least one MRF in every district going forward. At full capacity, these facilities will contribute to approximately 300 direct job opportunities and approximately 30,000 Kg of waste being redirected from landfills to recycling per MRF. MRFs are comprehensive facilities embodying social, environmental, and financial sustainability.”

Mr. Malindu Liyanage, Managing Director of Eko Plasco shared his thoughts on the facility, “I have always wanted to give back to the planet. This venture has not only brought to light my mission in life, but also provided a means of giving back to the community by providing people job opportunities. Through the setting up of the MRF I am now able to collect several types of recyclable waste from the environment, predominantly PET and other plastics, and even metal, glass, cardboard, polythene and cans which provides good financial incentives. The support I have received from CCBSL, and Eco Spindles has been invaluable in establishing this facility, providing us with essential machinery and collection bins/bags and they continue to support us in helping us grow”.

MRFs are a game changer in the nation’s waste management sector as they provide significant economic benefits to Sri Lanka and livelihood opportunities. It also benefits the country greatly as the exports of material from Eco Spindles generates much needed foreign currency in the current context. Coca-Cola, Eco Spindles, and their partners will continue to support facilities like Eko Plasco in order to create a positive impact on the environment and the communities.

Photo Caption

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary, Ministry of Environment at the Eko Plasco Material Recovery Facility (MRF) launch with the Country Leadership team of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka and Senior Management team of Eco-Spindles