Coca-Cola marks 5th Year of PET Collection and Recycling Project

The PET Collection Bin being handed over to
 Duleep Wijesekara (MP) – Deputy Minister of Disaster 
Management and Priyanthi Samaraweera, Principal,
WP/KE/Sapugaskanda Vishaka Balika Vidyalaya
 by Nilanthi Jayatillake – Country HR Manager,
Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited.

“Give Back Life”

Coca-Cola announced the launch of the next phase of its PET collection and recycling project, a part of its on-going community development and environmental conservation campaign “Give Back Life”. Launched in 2008, the “Give Back Life” project has been responsible for the collection and recycling of over 9 tons of PET plastics. This year, Coca-Cola is celebrating the 5^th year of this ground breaking project by launching a community based PET collection programme across 28 schools in Biyagama.

Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited in partnership with the Central Environmental Authority (CEA), the Biyagama Education Division and Kalhari Enterprises are taking the mission one step further by taking steps to conserve the environment, by inculcating the habit of recycling among school children.

The program involves children from participating schools collecting PET plastics and on the last Thursday of every month, designated as 'PET Day', Kalhari Enterprises will visit the schools to collect the accumulated PET waste. Coca-Cola will provide PET Day collection bins, date calendars and stickers to the participating schools. 

As an added incentive, Kalhari will pay Rs.30/= per kilo of PET collected. This money will be credited directly to the schools development fund on a quarterly basis and will be used to fund school development activities and student welfare projects.

The first PET Day collection bin was handed over to Duleep Wijesekara (MP) – Deputy Minister of Disaster Management and Priyanthi Samaraweera, Principal, WP/KE/Sapugaskanda Vishaka Balika Vidyalaya. Present on the occasion from Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited were Nilanthi Jayatillake - Country Human Resource Manager, along with Divisional Director of Education for the Biyagama Education Division K.K. Renuka P. Edirisinghe and the School Principals of the Biyagama Education Division.

Speaking at the event, Nilanthi Jayatillake, Country Human Resource Manager, Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Limited said, “Coca-Cola believes in giving back to the communities in which we operate. The PET recycling project “Give Back Life” was designed to manage the growing quantity of PET bottle waste in Sri Lanka. Over the last five years we have seen the project grow from strength to strength and we thank our friends in the CEA for their dedication and support. This project in Biyagama marks a new goal for us – the inclusion and empowerment of school children, and having worked with the people of Biyagama over the last couple of years we are confident that the PET Day school development project will be a resounding success.”

Nilanthi Jayatillake also thanked project partner Kalhari Enterprises “Our partnership with Kalhari is based on professional trust and two common goals - save our environment and empower the younger generation. We salute the enthusiasm with which they have embraced this project”.

Coca-Cola is focused on sustainability and undertakes many projects in various parts of Sri Lanka to provide flood relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes to the people of the area. Last year, the company organized a an inter school PET collection competition with Sir Rob Swan, OBE- a Polar explorer, motivational speaker and environmental leader who was in Sri Lanka to support Coca Cola's sustainability initiatives.

Coca-Cola in Sri Lanka

Coca-Cola in Sri Lanka refreshes thousands of consumers throughout the country with an exciting range of beverages including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Fanta Portello, Fanta Cream Soda, Lion Soda, Lion Tonic Water, Lion Gingerale, Lion Ginger Beer, Schweppes Tonic Water, Minute Maid Orange, Minute Maid Mango and Minute Maid Apple. The Coca-Cola system in Sri Lanka employs more than 400 people. Coca-Cola undertakes a number of community development and sustainability projects like the Coca-Cola Cricket Pathways to promote healthy active living, and identify grassroots cricketing talent. It also undertakes sanitation and clean drinking water projects in partnership with organizations like UNDP, Habitat for Humanity,