In most instances, there are no clean ways of disposing of wastage. As a result, most of it ends up in seas and oceans. This waste includes not just the garbage on the beaches but also the ones from manufacturing plants. Coca-Cola has taken it upon itself to be a part of a major ocean cleanup drive to clear at least some of the waters.
Ocean Cleanup drive
To carry out this activity, Coca-Cola is teaming up with Ocean Cleanup to prioritize the oceans this time. The objective this time is to intercept the plastic debris from around the world.
As part of this joint venture, Coca-Cola will bring to the table its global network; Ocean Cleanup will bring technology and data-driven solutions. The venture will make use of Dutch nonprofit’s solar-powered Interceptor as one of the cleaning systems. By the end of 2022, it will be seen in 15 rivers.
For now, Ocean Cleanup has installed two Interceptors; one at Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, and the other at Can Tho, Vietnam.
How will the technology work?
Interceptor was unveiled in 2019 as a scalable solution for collecting plastic waste. A barrier guides the waste travelling with the water current towards the opening of the Interceptor. The waste goes to the conveyor belt. There, the waste goes into a shuttle which gets taken to the shore. After that, the local teams get involved. They will sort out the wastes. For instance, the collected PET plastic bottles will be turned into new bottles.
The Ocean Cleanup
Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO, The Ocean Cleanup said:
“The Ocean Cleanup’s mission is to rid the oceans of plastic. With 1,000 rivers emitting nearly 80% of river-carried plastic into oceans, this massive problem grows by the day, which is why we are always looking to accelerate our progress. Among the waste we collect with our cleanup systems, we find many plastic bottles, including Coca-Cola packaging, so I applaud them for being the first in the industry to join our mission, as part of their wider actions to make a positive impact on worldwide plastic pollution. Our clear intent is to take our learnings from this partnership, which has the potential to evolve in the future and continue to scale rapidly. That’s why I believe this is good news for our oceans.”
Coca-Cola
Brian Smith, president and chief operating officer, The Coca-Cola Company said:
“At Coca-Cola, we have teams on the ground who will support the deployment of new Interceptors in rivers around the world, as well as the processing and recycling of the waste collected. Working together, we believe we can have a real impact. That’s exciting: it’s something we know our employees in every corner of the world will get behind, by helping to support the local implementation work and as ambassadors for the wider mission.”
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