Coca Cola India and Reliance Retail unveiled a sustainability campaign named “Bhool Na Jana, Plastic Bottle Lautana,” according to a press release issued on Monday.
The focus of the initiative is on collecting post-consumption polyethylene terephthalate (PET) at Reliance Retail stores in Mumbai, utilizing Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) and collection bins.
The launch of the initiative took place in the presence of Kazi Irfan, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for Solid Waste Management at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), at Reliance Retail’s Smart Bazaar store in Santa Cruz.
The initiative aligns with the central government’s Swachh Bharat Mission and has been launched in 36 Reliance Retail stores, including Smart Bazaar and Sahakari Bhandar stores in Mumbai and Delhi, as mentioned in the release.
Speaking on the launch, Damodar Mall, chief executive officer, Grocery Retail, Reliance Retail Limited, said, “Our pilot project with our store shoppers, and the support of Coca-Cola India and Reliance Industries, is an attempt to pursue with our wide network of stores.”
The sustainable project aims to reach 200 stores nationwide by 2025, targeting the collection of 500,000 PET bottles annually during the pilot phase.
“Through this partnership and platform, we are delighted that we can generate awareness and provide shoppers a convenient way to recycle their PET bottles while they are shopping at their Reliance store. Partnerships with retail, government, civic societies, and consumer-centric ideas like this one are a powerful multiplier for progress on collection, recycling, and reuse,” said Greishma Singh, vice president of Customer and Commercial Leadership, Coca Cola India (Southwest Asia).
Coca Cola India’s Previous Sustainability Initiatives
In October last year, Coca Cola India launched the Return And Recycle initiative with Zepto. It has seen the participation of 50,000 households in India and successful RVM installations across 75 cities in the country, collecting 1 tonne of PET waste.
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