Mission Pacific, Fiji’s pioneering beverage container recycling program, is expanding its PET plastic bottle and can collection efforts across the country, reinforcing a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) Fiji confirmed in a statement that it is working in collaboration with FIJI Water and Motibhai Group for this program which has been a key part of Fiji’s recycling infrastructure since 1999.
“The initiative continues to grow with a clear focus on improving accessibility, convenience, and incentives that encourage more Fijians to recycle,” CCEP Fiji said.
“Currently, Mission Pacific offers cash refunds for returned bottles and cans at three designated collection locations.”
In a significant move to extend its reach, the program launched its first Return & Earn Centre outside its core depot network yesterday.
“The town of Sigatoka will lead this milestone, becoming the first in Fiji to operate its own locally managed Return & Earn Centre,” CCEP Fiji said.
“Operated by the Sigatoka Town Council, the new centre will officially open this Saturday and marks a major step in embedding recycling more deeply into local communities.”
The CCEP said the Mission Pacific mobile collection caravan has been stationed at festivals and public events, including Public Rental Board Market carnivals and Fiji Sports Council activities.
“Offering 5 cents for every PET bottle returned, the caravan initiative is supported by promotional campaigns across newspapers, flyers, and social media platforms to maximise visibility and engagement,” CCEP Fiji said.
CCEP Fiji said Mission Pacific is also exploring opportunities to collaborate with major resorts while actively working to expand the number of permanent collection depots throughout the country. “In 2024 alone, the program successfully collected and exported 140 tonnes of PET plastic for offshore recycling.
“This ongoing success reinforces the belief that plastic bottles should not be seen as waste, but as valuable resources that can be reused and repurposed to reduce reliance on new plastic.” CCEP Fiji said the bottle collection scheme is part of a broader suite of sustainability initiative it champions.
“CCEP Fiji also supports regular employee-led beach cleanups and habitat restoration efforts and made a major renewable energy investment in 2017 by installing a 1.1-megawatt rooftop solar system at its Suva manufacturing facility one of the country’s largest.”
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