Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDailycom) -- The Coca - Cola Company came up with a new environmental initiative in Uzbekistan. From March 16, among the universities of the city of Tashkent, the environmental challenge #PET2NATUREUZ will start, which is implemented as part of the Coca-Cola Foundation's project “Go Wasteless".

All tasks of the environmental challenge will be carried out in partnership with the Youth Affairs Agency of Uzbekistan and the “Ekomaktab” NGO.

As a result, a mini-reservoir will be created in one of the protected areas of Karakalpakstan. It will become a life-saving oasis for wild animals that need accessible drinking water, especially during the hottest period of the year.

Plants indigenous to the Aral Sea region will be set around the reservoir. All these activities will subsequently improve a small area of the natural environment in the ecological disaster zone of the Aral Sea region and demonstrate the wide possibilities of "green" technologies, recycling and returning of water to the nature. The mini-pond will be made of durable and safe raw materials, the basis for which will be collected plastic bottles.

The environmental agenda has been in trend for the last two years, and the youth eagerly supports this movement. As part of the environmental challenge, university students will be invited to take part in the PET collection. All collected plastic at the next stage will be transferred to the SANFA company, one of the leading recyclers in Uzbekistan.

From the collected raw materials, which could end up in the form of garbage on city streets, SANFA's processors will produce a special geomembrane material that has the necessary qualities—resistance to high and low temperatures, neutrality to water and soil. It is this unique material that will become the basis for the creation of artificial water reservoirs in the reserve on the Ustyurt plateau in Karakalpakstan and will function as watering places for animals. This infrastructure will also be used for the plant drip irrigation system around the mini-pond.

The days of launching and holding the challenge #PET2NATUREUZ symbolically start on the eve of the Navruz holiday, and are timed to coincide with World Recycling Day (March 18) and World Water Day (March 22). This environmental initiative will contribute to solving the problem 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 challenge, the results will be announced on May 26. The university with the best result will be awarded a certificate from the Coca-Cola company and the Youth Affairs Agency, as well as memorable prizes.

Taking care of the environment globally and locally is one of the main strategic directions for the Coca-Cola. The Company is committed to doing business in a way that, over the long term, makes a sustainable contribution to the community and the environment in every country where the Coca-Cola operates.

Reducing carbon 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 the Coca-Cola representative office in Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, we are actively implementing projects to ensure access to drinking water for the population and the introduction of rational irrigation methods in the agricultural sector.

In 2022, The Coca-Cola Company launched an environmental project “Wasteless”, aimed at supporting the efficient collection and recycling of waste. With the help of a special application, restaurants (and other waste producers in the future) will be able to sell quality waste directly to recyclers and make the streets of our cities cleaner and more attractive.

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