Coca-Cola System and Vida Circular together for Sustainable Consumption
With the conviction that alliances are a key way to advance its purpose of Refreshing the World and Making a Difference, the Coca-Cola System Coca-Cola System System in the Dominican Republic - comprised of The Coca-Cola Company and its bottling partner Bepensa Dominicana - announced a partnership with Vida Circulara regional organization that promotes responsible resource management practices in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.
For eight decades, the Coca-Cola System has been part of the development of the Dominican Republic. Today it reaffirms that commitment with a clear vision: to join efforts to contribute to a more prosperous country. Aware that great advances require collaboration, it is committed to alliances that help generate positive and lasting changes in favor of sustainable consumption.
"The commitment to the environment is a shared task, and from the Coca-Cola System we believe in the transformative power of partnerships," said Lidia Castro, director of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability for Coca-Cola in the Caribbean. "This collaboration with Vida Circular reinforces our commitment to the communities where we operate, creating spaces for dialogue, education and the exchange of ideas".
This alliance is part of the Coca-Cola System's commitment to dedicate more time and resources to priority environmental areas where it can generate a significant impact, such as water and waste management, so that its actions strengthen the business and improve the quality of life in the communities in which it operates.
Juan Amell, Director of Corporate Affairs of Bepensa Dominicana, said: "As part of the Coca-Cola System, we understand that caring for the environment implies acting responsibly. This alliance allows us to work together with strategic allies on solutions that can have a lasting positive impact on the country.
For Humberto Quiroz, Americas Procurement Director and Regional Sustainability & Marketing Director at ALPLA, the founding company of Vida Circular, this collaboration represents an important step for the region. "Responsible actions with the environment have no borders. At Vida Circular we believe in the value of alliances to enhance impact, and we are confident that this effort will contribute to continue strengthening initiatives that promote best practices for all".
United for a greener future
The alliance will focus on promoting knowledge on topics such as recycling and good environmental practices, as well as connecting experts and citizens to strengthen a more active and conscious culture on environmental issues.
This effort is in addition to the initiatives that the Coca-Cola System promotes in the Dominican Republic, where it operates a production plant and 10 distribution centers, generating direct and indirect employment and contributing to local economic development.
Commitments of the Coca-Cola System in the Dominican Republic:
- Water management: The Coca-Cola System aims to return to nature and communities more than 100% of the water used in its finished products globally. In the Dominican Republic, this goal has been consistently achieved since 2015, in alliance with organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the Santo Domingo and Yaque del Norte Water Funds.
- Packaging: The Coca-Cola System offers beverages in different types of containers -glass and plastic bottles, aluminum cans and returnable glass containers- and each can contribute to waste and emissions reduction. For this reason, they are focusing their efforts on increasing the use of recycled materials in primary packaging and strengthening collection rates to achieve sustainable consumption.
To achieve these advances, the Coca-Cola System collaborates with local partners such as Recolectiva, Scrapmen Recycling Group, Pure Eco Polymers, NUVI and Puntos R, who contribute to the strengthening of collection and recycling systems in the country.
In the framework of its 80th anniversary in the Dominican Republic, the Coca-Cola System reaffirms its commitment to good practices and to continue adding collaborative efforts. This alliance with Vida Circular marks a new step towards creating an environment where companies, organizations and communities work together to turn environmental challenges into opportunities for growth, innovation and shared well-being.
