By Benson Daniel
Coca-Cola Nigeria has disclosed that its plastic recycling initiatives have supported more than 13,000 Nigerians in earning incomes through the collection and aggregation of plastic waste.
The company made the disclosure as it marked 75 years of operations in Nigeria, highlighting its investments in environmental sustainability, water access, youth development, healthcare and community empowerment.
The Coca-Cola System, comprising Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Bottling Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation, said its activities in the country had expanded beyond beverage production to include programmes aimed at improving livelihoods and supporting sustainable development.
According to the company, several recycling initiatives, including the Empowering Collectors Initiative, Plastics Recycling Programme, CyclePlast, Tidy Nigeria and Green Campus, have created income opportunities for thousands of Nigerians involved in the collection and aggregation of plastic waste.
The company has also invested in recycling infrastructure to improve the recovery and processing of used plastic packaging.
One of the major investments is a Packaging Collection Hub in Apapa, Lagos, which has the capacity to process up to 13,000 metric tonnes of polyethylene terephthalate bottles annually.
The facility currently supports more than 1,000 informal waste collectors and 70 aggregators, according to the company.
The initiatives form part of Coca-Cola’s broader sustainability efforts aimed at addressing plastic waste while creating economic opportunities for people operating within the informal recycling sector.
Beyond recycling, Coca-Cola said its community programmes had also focused on improving access to water in underserved communities.
Through its Strengthening Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programme, the company said boreholes and handwashing facilities were rehabilitated across six communities in Maiduguri, including an internally displaced persons camp, two healthcare facilities and a school.
More than 16,000 people now have access to safer water through the projects, while women have been engaged as hygiene promoters and young people trained as maintenance artisans.
In Imo State, Coca-Cola said it supported the restoration of 15,000 cubic metres of riverbank vegetation along the Otamiri River, helping to protect water resources serving 25 communities.
The company also highlighted its investment in youth development, saying its Youth Empowered programme had reached 70,000 young Nigerians through life skills training, entrepreneurship development and internship opportunities.
Its Digital Skilling and Employment Project and AWAMBI programme have also trained more than 130,000 youths in digital skills.
In the health sector, Coca-Cola said its Safe Birth Initiative had supported public hospitals by providing equipment for maternity and neonatal units and training biomedical technicians.
More than 43,000 mothers and newborns have benefited from the initiative, the company said.
Coca-Cola also noted that its operations support thousands of direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect livelihoods across manufacturing, logistics, packaging, transportation, retail and recycling.
As the company marks its 75th year in Nigeria, it said it remained committed to strengthening communities, creating economic opportunities and supporting environmental sustainability across the country.
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