HCCB collects 8.5-lakh PET bottles at Puri Rath Yatra

In a big move for the environment, HCCB collected over 17,000-kilograms of used PET bottles at the Puri Rath Yatra in Odisha. This amounts to more than 8.5-lakh PET bottles.

This initiative was conducted in a partnership between several organisations — Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, the Anandana Coca-Cola India Foundation, Odisha’s State Pollution Control Board, Y4D Foundation supported by the Foundation for Climate Protection (FCP), the Odisha Development Management Programme (ODMP), and the Puri Municipality.

This year’s festival saw millions of devotees in attendance. For the project’s successful implementation, there were dedicated zones for bottle collection. Additionally, recycling awareness campaigns were being conducted. Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister, Pravati Parida inaugurated the main collection stall.

Himanshu Priyadarshi, chief of public affairs, communications, and a sustainability officer at HCCB said, “Our mission to celebrate Puri's heritage with a ‘Used PET Bottle-Free Ratha Yatra’ has once again been vividly brought to life through this initiative. We are delighted to see the tangible impact of our collective efforts in Puri.”

Volunteers were stationed at the collection bins and awareness stalls. Attendees and locals were made aware of the company’s sustainable practices, which helped with the collection of the bottles.

“We are thrilled with the results of this year’s Rath Yatra waste management drive,” Priyadarshi said. “The collection reflects the robustness of our strategy and the hard work of everyone involved. It’s a proud moment for us at HCCB and a step forward in our journey towards a cleaner planet.”

According to a report by Towards Packaging, the global plastic packaging market reached USD 381.57-billion in 2022. The company projects the market to hit USD 584.09-billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4% from 2023 to 2032.