FIJI Water has announced that nearly 70 per cent of its total global volume is now packaged in recycled plastic.
In a statement released by FIJI Water, the company reaffirmed its commitment to environmental stewardship, particularly in its home country of Fiji.
FIJI Water noted that over $5million has been invested in energy efficiency projects across the Fiji Islands.
“FIJI Water is a founding member of Mission Pacific, a recycling organisation established in 1999, in partnership with our distributor Coca-Cola,” it said.
“Mission Pacific runs Fiji’s five-cent per bottle deposit program and operates out of Coca-Cola’s offices in Suva, Lautoka and Labasa, commonly referred to as bottle buy back centres.
“FIJI Water has partnered with Mission Pacific on a variety of initiatives to increase plastic recycling across the Fiji Islands, including pop-up neighbourhood collection sites and advertising campaigns.
“We strongly urge the Government to pass container deposit legislation as soon as possible.”
In the meantime, FIJI Water is collaborating with industry partners on a voluntary scheme to boost plastic recycling across the islands.
The company’s transition to PET has already resulted in a reduction of over 200 million virgin plastic bottles globally, contributing to a 60 percent lower carbon footprint compared to the use of new plastic.
Additionally, FIJI Water is working on a multi-year project to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging by further decreasing the weight and thickness of bottles without compromising their structural integrity.
“Currently, we use five to six per cent less plastic by weight compared with our bottle weights prior to 2022.
“In 2021, we began working on a 10-year energy plan to reduce emissions and optimise the efficiency of our bottling plant.
“While many developing nations rely on the export of raw materials, FIJI Water exports a sophisticated finished consumer product, which is entirely created in Fiji from the most basic raw materials.
“If we’re able to secure the necessary land alongside our FIJI Water plant at Yaqara, we plan to install 10MW of solar, which will generate 40 per cent of our energy needs.”
