Coca-Cola/Refriango and the non-governmental organizations Guardiões da Costa Mwangolé and ForAfrika today formalized a cooperation protocol in Benguela to establish recycling points in the cities of Benguela and Lobito, with a commitment to promoting best practices for environmental sustainability. The initiative supports reverse logistics and the circular economy, reinforcing the environmental sustainability actions and projects that Coca-Cola and Refriango have been developing in the country as part of the World Without Waste campaign.
Lobito, December 5, 2023 – The protocol signed by Coca-Cola/Refriango and the non-governmental organizations Guardiões da Costa Mwangolé and ForAfrika results from a strategic partnership and has the institutional support of the municipal authorities. Its main goal is to establish a waste management system, promoting recycling and reducing the environmental impact in the region. To ensure the success and widespread adoption of the project, educational programs will be conducted with local communities, focusing on environmental awareness and empowering the community to actively participate in preserving the environment. In its first phase, the project aims to raise awareness among 50,000 inhabitants of Benguela and Lobito about the importance of proper waste disposal.
The recycling points will be installed in Lobito and Benguela by the end of the year. Solid waste will be collected by waste pickers under the supervision of Guardiões da Costa Mwangolé and then processed and transformed at the Green Island recycling company in Benguela.
During the signing of the protocol, Mauro Ferreira, representative of the Angolan association Guardiões da Costa Mwangolé and partner in the project, commented: “The implementation of recycling points and a waste management system with reverse logistics is crucial to guide and change unsustainable waste management practices. In addition to preventing soil, river, and ocean pollution, selective collection benefits the local industry and low-income families, especially waste pickers. In cities like Benguela and Lobito, these waste management systems are a novelty, making this project an important opportunity to engage local society, as well as public and private institutions, on the importance of selective collection and recycling.”
In the same vein, Célio Njinga, National Director of the NGO ForAfrika in Angola, which is part of the initiative, argued that “the fight to protect our planet will not be won by acting alone. Non-profit organizations like ForAfrika, the private sector (Coca-Cola/Refriango), and political decision-makers (Government) are not the only ones responsible for change. It is crucial that individual choices evolve into collective actions over time if we want to see the change we desire. The project we are launching today is a way to implement lasting solutions that empower our communities economically, contributing to a more prosperous Africa.”
Paula Lima Matoso, Marketing Director of Coca-Cola in Angola, also emphasized the importance of “collective action” to ensure “our health and well-being, as well as our progress and future, not only as individuals but also as a country.” She explained, “Globally, the overexploitation of resources and pressure on our ecosystems have long reached a critical point. Reusing and recycling waste is therefore vital and requires everyone’s participation. At Coca-Cola, we spare no effort. Through the World Without Waste campaign, we are leading an unstoppable movement striving every day to ensure environmental sustainability in Angola and worldwide.”
Tânia Jardim, Marketing Manager of Refriango, the company that produces and distributes Coca-Cola brands in Angola, also reinforced that “it is time for us to act, all together.” “Benguela becomes today another front-runner in this joint effort by Coca-Cola, Refriango, Guardiões da Costa Mwangolé, and ForAfrika for Angola’s environmental sustainability and resilience. It is important to highlight that the installation of recycling points in Benguela and Lobito goes beyond the recycling points themselves, as it is part of a broader strategy by Refriango and our partners to promote and improve the quality of life for Angolans and contribute to Angola’s achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, including: Health and Well-Being, Quality Education, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Life Below Water. Awareness and environmental education actions in communities and schools will play a fundamental role in achieving these goals and also in strengthening the circular economy. As with all its social responsibility actions, Refriango hopes that, in the future, the Benguela community will adopt this project and scale it sustainably with increasingly ambitious and successful results.”
With the “Recycling Points in Benguela and Lobito” project, Coca-Cola and Refriango are replicating a model that has already been successful in Luanda. This year, the two companies, together with partner institutions, installed eight recycling points at fuel stations in the capital and ten in schools within the UNESCO Associated Schools Network in Angola, which have already collected over 16 tons of solid waste.
Coca-Cola and Refriango’s environmental sustainability projects also include beach cleanups, environmental education, and awareness in schools and communities, as well as promoting the circular economy.
