Coca-Cola PNG has rolled out a new program to decrease the amount of plastic waste in and around the environment and encourage the collection and recycling of PET beverage bottles.

The program entails the collection of coke and other soft drink bottles for an incentive.

Tim Solly, the Commercial Director for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PNG said, as a beverage manufacturer, it is their responsibility to have a long-term commitment to sustainability in regards to packaging.

“Packaging waste is undoubtedly a major challenge, and it’s also a solvable one if we take action”.

This collaborative exercise between CCEP PNG, Coca-Cola PNG and Branis Recycling Limited aims to prevent plastic bottle waste from going into landfill, waterways and the environment in general.

Members of the public will be crucial in contributing to the program by collecting PET plastic beverage bottles and taking them to Branis collection centres at Ahuia Street, Gordons; Spondias Street, Hohola; Movivina Street, Gerehu, Stage 6; Gordons Market and Badili, along Hurbert Murray Highway.

There, the bottles will be weighed and the consumer will be paid one kina per kilo depending on the number of plastic bottles brought in.

To help the recycling exercise of plastic bottles, Coca-Cola PNG has purchased two PET shredders to pre-process the PET bottles into flake, which is a more cost-effective material to ship offshore; prior to this, all PET beverage bottles were baled before being shipped offshore.