Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda partners with Stanbic Bank to reduce plastic waste

Nakawa -Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) through its initiative, Plastic Recycling Industries has today partnered with Stanbic Bank Uganda to reduce plastic waste in the environment.

This partnership is part of CCBU’s environmental sustainability programme that seeks to create a world without waste.
Last year, the National Research Repository of Uganda (NRU) indicated that imports and use of packaging and plastics in Uganda have increased six-fold within the last three years. This has escalated the challenge for sustainable management and recycling of plastic waste.
Speaking at the partnership event at Plastic Recycling Industry (PRI) in Nakawa, Kirunda Magoola, the CCBU Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Director highlighted that waste management is a collective effort that requires stakeholders to come together.
“Our commitment is to invest in our planet and environment. That’s why for every bottle that we produce, we are determined to collect the equivalent. Last year, we were able to attain 85% of this target while collecting PET waste wherever we found it,” said Kirunda, adding that the company intends to make all consumer packaging 100% recyclable by 2025.
The partnership provides an opportunity for Stanbic Bank to identify designated collection spaces that will serve as plastic waste collection centres around Uganda, ensure appropriate security and maintenance of the collection centres, and provide appropriate messaging to the public regarding environment protection.

“We are happy to be part of an initiative that cares for the environment and for people. Poorly disposed plastic waste damages the environment, land, and water. We, therefore, need to work together towards creating a world without waste,” said Anne Juuko, the Stanbic Bank CEO.
Present at the launch was the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Corporate Communications Manager, Naomi Karekaho, who applauded CCBU and Stanbic Bank for working together. She noted that plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental concerns due to the increase of single-use plastics and poor disposal habits by the public.
“I am happy to see corporate entities like CCBU and Stanbic Bank make a valuable contribution towards waste management and environmental conservation. Their efforts are worth emulating,” Karekaho said.
Through initiatives like this, CCBU will play its part in delivering on Coca-Cola’s global ambition of making 25% of our packaging reusable by 2030, collecting for recycling the equivalent of 100% of packaging sold and creating packaging that is at least 50% recycled material by 2030.

CCBA is the 8th largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume. With over 17,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 600,000 customers with a host of international and local brands.

The group was formed in July 2016 after the successful combination of the southern and east Africa bottling operations of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments. CCBA shareholders are currently: The Coca-Cola Company 66.5% and Gutsche Family Investments 33.5%. CCBA operates in 15 countries, including its six key markets of South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia, as well as Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini Lesotho and Malawi.
Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited is the anchor subsidiary of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Limited, a member of the Standard Bank Group—Africa’s largest bank by assets.

In Uganda, Stanbic Bank which employs nearly 2000 Ugandans is the largest by assets, customer deposits and profitability. The Bank has been listed on the Uganda Stock Exchange since January 2007 and has been recognized by multiple regional and international authorities including Euromoney and Africa Banker Magazine as Best Bank in Uganda.

Stanbic Bank seeks to drive Uganda’s growth through innovative financial services to its retail, business, and corporate customers. The bank is recognized for having one of the strongest ESG policies that ensures it creates value for its shareholders, in a responsible and sustainable manner.