Photo: Coca-Cola
Students of the capital’s higher education institutions collect plastic bottles for the recycling company SANFA, which are then turned into geomembranes. The final result of the project will be the creation of an ecosystem for the use of drinking water in the protected areas for animals included in the Red Book living on the Ustyurt Plateau (Karakalpakistan).
On the eve of Nowruz, the Coca-Cola company in Uzbekistan came up with a new environmental initiative. From March 16, #PET2NATUREUZ environmental challenge will start among higher education institutions in Tashkent, which will be implemented within the “Go Wasteless” project of the Coca-Cola Foundation.
All tasks of the ecological challenge are carried out in cooperation with the Youth Affairs Agency and the NGO “Ekomaktab”.
As a result, a small pond will be created in one of the protected areas of Karakalpakstan. The land, especially during the hottest time of the year, becomes a saving oasis for wild animals in need of drinking water.
Plants suitable for the conditions of the Aral Sea will be planted around the reservoir. All these measures will subsequently improve a small area of the natural environment in the ecological disaster zone of the Aral Sea and demonstrate the wide possibilities of “green” technologies, water treatment and return to nature. The mini-pool is made of durable and safe raw materials, plastic bottles are collected as its basis.
During the last two years, the environmental agenda has been trending, and young people are the most active supporters of this movement. As part of the environmental challenge, university students are invited to participate in the PET collection. At the next stage, all the collected plastic will be handed over to SANFA, one of the leading recyclers in Uzbekistan. From the collected raw materials, which can turn into waste on the city streets, specialists of the SANFA company produce a special geomembrane material with the necessary qualities – resistance to high and low temperatures, neutrality to water and soil. It is this unique material that is the basis for the creation of artificial water bodies in the nature reserve on the Ustyurt Plateau in Karakalpakstan, which serves as a watering place for animals. This infrastructure is also used for a drip irrigation system for plants around a small pond.
The days of introduction and implementation of the #PET2NATUREUZ challenge symbolically begin on the eve of Nowruz holiday and are dedicated to World Recycling Day (March 18) and World Water Day (March 22). This environmental initiative will contribute to solving the issue of biodiversity conservation in the country, as well as demonstrate the benefits of a circular economy and inspire the people of Uzbekistan to sort waste.
Leading universities of Uzbekistan are expected to participate in the competition, the results will be announced on May 26. The university with the best results will be awarded with a certificate and souvenirs from Coca-Cola and the Youth Affairs Agency.
Caring for the environment globally and locally is one of the main strategic directions for Coca-Cola. The company is committed to doing business in a way that makes a long-term sustainable contribution to society and the environment in every country where Coca-Cola operates.
“Reducing carbon dioxide emissions, returning water to nature and reducing waste are the main areas of environmental protection, and in each of these areas we are constantly working on a sustainable strategy,” said Murat Serkan Dilek, head of Coca-Cola’s representative office in Uzbekistan. – In Uzbekistan, projects are being actively implemented to provide drinking water to the population, to introduce rational irrigation methods to the agricultural sector.
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