Coca-Cola India and Reliance Retail collaborate on the PET collection and recycling project "Bhool Na Jana, Plastic Bottle Lautana."
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 16 (ANI): Coca-Cola India and Reliance Retail have collaborated on a groundbreaking sustainability initiative, 'Bhool Na Jana, Plastic Bottle Lautana,' which focuses on used PET bottle collection and recycling through Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) and collection bins.
A press release states that the pilot project, which envisions a circular economy and is in keeping with the government's Swachh Bharat Mission, has started in 36 Reliance Retail locations, including the Smart Bazaar and Sahakari Bhandar stores in Mumbai and Delhi.
According to the release, Kazi Irfan, an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for Solid Waste Management at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), attended the launch event, which took place at Reliance Retail's Smart Bazaar store in Santa Cruz.
The initiative is expected to reach 200 Reliance Retail locations nationwide by 2025. The pilot phase of the program aims to collect five million PET bottles annually.
Reverse vending machines (RVMs) and collecting bins will be erected at the participating stores as part of the program, giving customers a practical way to return unwanted PET bottles.
The collected PET bottles will be sustainably managed and recycled by Reliance Industries (RIL), a pioneer in polyester and plastics recycling, in exchange for consumers receiving substantial discounts on Coca-Cola India goods.
Indian families have a cultural tendency to recycle. According to Damodar Mall, Chief Executive Officer of Grocery Retail at Reliance Retail Limited, "We clean, collect, and hand them over to raddiwalas (scrap dealers), who in today's world are the unique front-end army of recyclers." This statement highlights the habit of Indian families not to trash milk pouches, plastic bottles, or even newspapers on a daily basis.
He added, "SmartBazaar, as a modern retailer continues to encourage this habit, with modern methods. Our pilot with our store shoppers, with the support of Coca-Cola India and Reliance Industries, is one such attempt we plan to pursue with our wide network of stores."
"Through this partnership and platform, we are delighted that we can generate awareness and give shoppers a convenient and engaging way to recycle their PET bottles in return for compelling offers while they are shopping at Reliance stores. Partnerships like this one built around consumer-centric ideas, we believe, can be a powerful multiplier for progress on collection, recycling, and reuse," stated Greishma Singh, Vice President - Customer and Commercial Leadership, Coca Cola India and Southwest Asia.
In addition, he said, "Progress on collection, recycling, and reuse is powerfully multiplied by partnerships with retail, government, civic societies, and consumer-centric ideas like this one."
Reliance is committed to sustainability and circularity, as stated by Hemant D. Sharma, President-Growth and Strategy, Polyester, Reliance Industries Limited: "Reliance stands as a trailblazer in sustainability and circularity, leading India's charge in transforming waste into valuable resources."
"For over two decades, RIL has championed recycling postconsumer PET bottles, demonstrating a foresighted dedication to a greener, circular future," the speaker continued. "With plans to scale it to 5 billion, RIL epitomizes a commitment to sustainability that predates current trends and sets the standard for eco-friendly manufacturing."
As part of its World Without Waste plan, Coca-Cola has made a global commitment to collect and recycle 100% of the packaging it manufactures. This project is in line with that promise.
It is an extension of the highly successful 'Return and Recycle' campaign that Coca-Cola India ran in partnership with Zepto to engage 50,000 Indian households and install RVMs in 75 cities, collecting one tonne of PET waste.
The joint venture aims to reinforce sustainable practices, encourage responsible waste management, and contribute to a cleaner environment (ANI)