World Cleanup Day: New Initiative Boosts Efforts to Conserve Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is set for a refresh when Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) participates in World Cleanup Day activities organised by Uganda Junior Rangers. CCBU will participate in the cleanup exercise and provide waste bins to boost the management of plastic waste. 

The cleanup will concentrate on Lake Victoria landing sites, and around Murchison Bay area, including Ggaba, Makindye and Nakawa Division coastal areas. Island communities including the Lake Victoria watershed informal settlements near Nakivubo Channel and Entebbe Municipality in Nakiwogo Bay will also be part of the activities. Kirunda Magoola, the Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director of CCBU, said the company was on a drive to ensure 25% of its packaging is reusable by 2030 as well as to achieve a 100% collection rate for recycling by 2030. 

“We have localised The Coca-Cola Company’s World Without Waste strategy, which is being implemented under our Plastic Recycling Initiative. The initiative has been key in addressing the plastic waste problem,” said Magoola, noting that it gives CCBU an opportunity to engage communities in effective plastic waste management. Magoola said initiatives like Community Empowerment for a Plastic-Free Lake Victoria-Luzira Landing Site will go a long way in consolidating gains and mitigating the impact of plastic waste on the environment.

“At CCBU, we are leading the industry in making our value chain increasingly sustainable in the way that we manufacture our products, how we distribute them and how we sell them,” said Magoola.  “Our goal is to collect and recycle the equivalent of 100% of the packaging we sell, working in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company which launched a sustainable packaging strategy in 2018 called World Without Waste.

“We can’t do it alone. We work with stakeholders, nonprofits, communities, governments and our industry toward a clean environment,” said Magoola. “We are working in our communities to educate people on why and how to recycle through consumer campaigns, on-package messaging and more to create a healthier environment for all."

“We’re working toward these solutions to create a circular economy that benefits society and works for our business. We’ve set ambitious goals for our business, to take responsibility for our packaging across its lifecycle and reduce ocean pollution,” said Magoola.