Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and Coca-Cola Middle East announced the introduction of 100% recycled PET (rPET) bottles for Coca-Cola’s range of beverages across official FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022ä venues, including stadiums and fan zones.
Aligning with the SC’s key initiatives on responsible plastic recycling, Coca-Cola Middle East’s pilot of 100% rPET bottles marks the first time the packaging will be in circulation at a FIFA World Cup™ tournament and serves as Coca-Cola’s debut in locally producing 100% rPET bottles in the region. As part of this pilot initiative, 350ml Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta bottles, plus 500ml Arwa water bottles, will be available in 100% rPET packaging.
Eng. Bodour Al Meer, the SC’s Sustainability Executive Director, said: “In addition to our One Tide program, the pilot of Coca-Cola Middle East’s 100% rPET bottles will significantly reduce the impact of single-use plastics and aligns to our concerted efforts to leave a sustainable legacy long after the FIFA World Cup 2022.”
Tolga Cebe, Vice President & General Manager Middle East, The Coca-Cola Company, said: “Piloting the 100% rPET bottles for our Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta beverages and Arwa water during the tournament marks a major milestone for our operations in the region. It is an important step towards our global World Without Waste ambition to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one sold by 2030. For Coca-Cola Middle East, this is part of a journey, and we aim to continue to champion waste collection projects and minimize our impact through local partnerships and initiatives.”
In addition to the 100% rPET bottles, Coca-Cola Middle East has placed dedicated recycling bins across FIFA World Cup 2022™ venues and will educate the 20,000+ volunteers and 1 million+ fans on responsible recycling through its on-ground and on-screen communication, ensuring recyclable plastic waste is placed in the right bins for further repurposing.
The SC is also proud to announce that plastic bottles segregated and collected during the tournament will be recycled and converted into rPET bottles in-country, effectively closing the loop and leaving behind a green legacy – one of the SC’s key objectives. This was greatly supported by Coca-Cola Middle East’s efforts.\
Through this initiative and the SC’s One Tide program, Qatar is taking great strides to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated in the country and across the region.
“Our immediate objective is to raise awareness of this issue and help people in Qatar – and globally – reduce their reliance on single-use plastics and encourage sustainable behaviors,” Al Meer added. The Coca-Cola Company has had a long-standing relationship with FIFA since 1976 and has been an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™ since 1978.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our hydration, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our nutrition, juice, dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About The Supreme Committee
Established in 2011 by the State of Qatar, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) is responsible for the delivery of the infrastructure and host country planning and operations for Qatar to host an amazing and historic FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™?; the tournament will accelerate progress towards achieving national development goals and creates a lasting legacy for Qatar, the Middle East, Asia and the world.
The stadiums, non-competition venues and other infrastructure the SC and our stakeholders have delivered contribute to a compact and connected FIFA World Cup™? with sustainability and accessibility at its heart. After the tournament, the stadiums and surrounding precincts will become vibrant hubs of community life – an integral part of the legacy we are building.
Working closely with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC (Q22), the SC is also responsible for FIFA World Cup host country planning and operations. Families and groups of fans arriving from around the world will experience a secure, human-centred tournament that both celebrates and exemplifies the hospitality for which Qatar and the region are known.
Finally, through programmes including Generation Amazing, Challenge 22, Workers’ Welfare, initiatives such as Community Engagement and the establishment of the Josoor Institute, the SC harnesses the power of football to stimulate human, social, economic and environmental development in communities across Qatar, the region and Asia.