Plastic waste will be put to good use as an alternative fuel in cement production thanks to a new partnership between Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) and Hima Cement Limited.
In terms of the three-year partnership, which has been formalized in a memorandum of understanding, CCBU will provide Hima Cement access to plastic waste from its operations for handling and disposal through Hima’s waste management business, Geocycle.
Geocycle offers safe and sustainable waste management solutions applying the internationally recognised technology of co-processing. The partnership is designed to end the lifestyle of PET waste collected frrm the environment. CCBU will provide Hima Cement with waste from it’s recycling process to be used in their heating processes in the cement kiln leaving no residue. The two companies will also collaborate in awareness creation for proper waste management through communications.
Kirunda Magoola, CCBU Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director, said it is important that plastic waste is managed properly through a collaboration that educates Ugandans on the importance of plastic waste recycling and disposal.
“At CCBA, we are leading the industry in making our value chain increasingly sustainable in the way that we manufacture our products, how we distribute them and how we sell them.
“We have the scale and reach to make a real difference, and we’re using our leadership position to drive change and help put our planet on a more sustainable path.
“We can’t do it alone. We work with stakeholders, nonprofits, communities, governments and our industry toward a clean environment.
“We are working in our communities to educate people on why and how to recycle through consumer campaigns, on-package messaging and more to create a healthier environment for all,” Magoola said.
“Tackling the global plastic waste crisis requires cross-sector collaboration and alignment on common principles and targets. We work with a range of stakeholders at a regional and local level.
“This includes partnering with governments and community organisations to strengthen recycling infrastructure and boost collection rates, collaborating with customers, peers and industry associations to shape public policy that supports a circular economy; and teaming up with suppliers, startups and R&D partners to fuel sustainable packaging innovation.
“The partnership with Hima Cement is one example of this.
“We are investing in infrastructure and exploring how to support additional recycled PET capacity in Uganda.
“CCBU, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, established Plastic Recycling Industries (PRI), an initiative through which the company promotes environmental conservation and protection by supporting collection and recycling of plastics in Uganda.” Magoola said.
Jean-Michel Pons, the Hima Cement Country CEO, said: “As part of our decarbonization and circular economy approach, we utilize materials at the end of their lifecycle as alternative fuels, such as industrial wastes like plastics and agricultural wastes like biomass, thus reducing the carbon intensity of our cement while offering a unique solution to waste challenges.”
“This is an existential threat that we must tackle as a unit. It cannot be the responsibility of a single person or organisation. Everybody must get involved,” he added, noting that Hima Cement will, among others, get involved in plastic waste awareness programmes, provide access to its trucks in transportation of waste as well as engage in networking opportunities with affiliate companies and organisations in the plastic recycling sector to support CCBU’s initiatives related to environmental restoration.
CCBA is the 8th largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume. With over 17,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 680,000 customers with a host of international and local brands. The group was formed in July 2016 after the successful combination of the southern and east Africa bottling operations of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments. CCBA shareholders are currently: The Coca-Cola Company 66.5% and Gutsche Family Investments 33.5%. CCBA operates in 15 countries, including its six key markets of South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia, as well as Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Malawi.
Hima Cement Ltd was incorporated in Uganda on the 14th of December 1994 under the name Hima Cement (1994) Limited. The Company is a subsidiary of Bamburi Cement Group and is part of the Holcim Group. Today, the Hima Cement factories in Kasese, Tororo and Namanve have the capacity to produce 2,100,000 tons of cement annually and employ over 2000 people directly and indirectly. Hima Cement is committed to being the preferred provider of sustainable products and solutions in East Africa with a strong focus on customer experience. It currently serves its core market of Uganda and exports to Rwanda and South Sudan.