COPA Coca Cola makes off-field impact with recycling programme

Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday February 11, 2020 15:41

 

A grassroots tournament, the COPA Coca Cola has churned countless talent on the field, with some players going on to grace football's biggest stages.

Last week Thursday, the non-alcoholic beverages company held a prize giving ceremony for the COPA Coca Cola Schools recycling programme at Ledumadumane Junior Secondary School.

The occasion was meant to honour schools in the greater Gaborone, that participated in the inaugural COPA Coca Cola recycling programme.

Coca Cola Beverages Botswana general manager, David Chait said the environmental knowledge imparted on the pupils, as a result of the recycling programme, was invaluable.

'It is something you will use with friends and family for years to come, making a much better community than we have today,' Chait said.

The programme, run by Coca Cola, in conjuction with the Botswana Integrated Sports Association (BISA) and collection partner, Somarela Tikologo, engaged schools about the importance of recycling for a litter-free environment.

The programme was run concurrently with the COPA Coca Cola tournament, which was played last winter.

'The programme complemented the Botswana government's efforts to keep the environment clean campaign, at the same time, Coca Cola's effort to fulfil the World Without Waste goal. Through the programme, our aim was to generate awareness and talkability of the Coca Cola and Coca Cola Beverages Africa recycling initiative in the schools and neighbouring communities,' Chait said.

Coca Cola Integrated Marketing Communication manager, Andrew Endovo, in his vote of thanks, said the company had demonstrated its long-term commitment to Botswana in the development of young people's talent in sport, particularly, soccer.

'It is our ambition to continue to use COPA Coca Cola to further hone the football talent of world youth by giving them international exposure. Now we have added the PET collection, a thing that is at our country's heart. We need a clean environment and the best for generations to come,' Endovo said.

A total of 5,876kg of cans were collected during the competition. Ledumadumang emerged top after collecting 2,035kg of cans, while Gaborone West (1,197kg) and Mogoditshane Junior (616kg) were second and third, respectively.