Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages & Anandana: The Coca-Cola India Foundation Collect Empty PET Bottles During Mysuru Dasara Festival

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), one of India’s leading Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies, in collaboration with Anandana: The Coca-Cola India Foundation, and along with the Mysuru City Corporation, successfully collected empty PET bottles during this year’s grand Mysuru Dasara. With Y4D Foundation as the implementing partner, the "Used PET Bottle Free Dasara Celebration" initiative promoted package collection in one of Karnataka’s largest annual events.

The 10-day Mysuru Dasara, held from October 3 to October 12, 2024, attracted thousands of tourists and devotees from across the country. HCCB launched this initiative to manage empty PET bottles throughout the festivities. Over 30 volunteers actively participated, to support the execution of the waste management drive.

The initiative focussed on placing collection bins and recycling stations at key festival locations, including Chamundi Hills, Aahara Mela, and other prominent sites. The empty PET bottles were collected and transported to designated warehouses for segregation, and then transported to a PET bottle recycling partner.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Himanshu Priyadarshi, Chief Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability Officer at HCCB, said, “Mysuru Dasara is more than just a festival. It's a vibrant expression of our cultural heritage, uniting communities through devotion, celebration, and environmental responsibility. By collecting and recycling PET bottles, we actively contribute to a circular economy. The 'Used PET Bottle Free Dasara' initiative underscores our dedication to building a World Without Waste and advancing a shared commitment to environmental stewardship..”

Rajesh Ayapilla, Senior Director– Sustainability and CSR at Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia, said “At Coca-Cola, our ambitious World Without Waste strategy aims to help create a circular economy for our packaging—from how bottles and cans are designed and manufactured to how they’re recycled and reused. As we celebrate our vibrant cultural festivals, we acknowledge our responsibility to take actions that help protect both the environment and local communities. By collaborating with local partners during these moments of celebration. we can help provide collection infrastructure while educating participants on waste segregation and the responsible disposal of solid waste.”

About Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages

HCCB was incorporated on 14th February 1997. Since then, HCCB has come a long way in being able to serve over 23 lakh retailers, ~2,300 distributors, and 5,000+ employees. 2,50,000 farmers grow the agricultural produce that HCCB uses in making its products. The company is headquartered in Bangalore and its operations are spread in 12 states, and 236 districts in South and West India. Through its 13 factories spread across India, it manufactures and sells 37 different products across 8 categories. Its products include some of India’s most loved beverages - Coca-Cola, Thums Up, Sprite, Minute Maid, Maaza, SmartWater, Kinley, Limca, Fanta, and a lot more.