World's top soft drink maker is an environmental pioneer
World's top soft drink maker is an environmental pioneer
Conscious of its role as a leading producer of consumer goods,
Coca-Cola is one of the pioneers of corporate environmental
awareness in Indonesia. "From our experience overseas, we are
able to ensure our facilities conform to international guidelines
on the environment," said Richard Brooks, President Director of
Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia. "We were the first beverage maker to
switch to 'stay-on tabs' for aluminum cans, and one of the first
to make the shift to environmentally friendly refrigeration
equipment."
The company's first effort was to hire Indonesian
environmental specialist PT Tirtakreasi Amrita to design a
US$400,000 biological waste-water treatment plant in Bali.
The plant uses aeration to sift waste water and neutralize its
pH content. The end product is then channeled into a fish pond.
Similar facilities are now a feature at all of the company's key
plants.
Coca-Cola's efforts recently received official recognition
when its Medan facility became one of only 10 plants to be
awarded a "green" rating by the Ministry of Environment.
However, the company's environmental campaign stretches beyond
the factory perimeters. In the past, it has conducted "How to
keep the environment clean" campaigns in several provinces. These
included art competitions in Yogyakarta, Central Java, and in
Denpasar, Bali, which were aimed at raising awareness among young
people.
In addition, it embarks on annual tree-planting programs and
contributes to Jakarta's Green Project. The Coca-Cola bottler in
Jakarta has also taken part in efforts to clean-up one of the
city's premier tourist areas, Sunda Kelapa Harbor. To help
promote responsible garbage disposal, it has presented trash cans
to municipal authorities, including 50 to the city of Bandung.
It was also one of the sponsors of a book on Ragunan Zoo, an
important site for the breeding of endangered species. "We don't
take environmental concerns lightly," Brooks said. "After all,
our products are about enjoying the outdoors, not spoiling it.