Championing collective environmental stewardship, Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) recently concluded the pilot run of their joint waste recovery and recycling campaign, Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo! Barangay Contest.

The initiative integrated Coca-Cola’s Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo! Program with the MMDA’s Mobile Material Recovery Facility (MMRF) project “Recyclable Mo, Palit Grocery Ko,” in which participating barangays competed to collect the highest volume of clear PET plastic bottles of any brand, Coca-Cola glass bottles, and crates. The pilot run took place from June to August 2024 and recognized the top barangays out of over 20 participants across Metro Manila. Barangay Pinagsama in Taguig secured first place, while Barangay Tejeros in Makati and Barangay Bayanan in Muntinlupa claimed second and third, respectively.

Barangay Chairman Ma. Victoria Mortel of Barangay Pinagsama said that working hand-in-hand was key to their first-place win: “We dedicate our hard work and win to our whole community. It has truly been a team effort—our barangay staff and community members go out daily to collect recyclables, helping us maintain cleanliness and prevent floods in our areas. As our first ever award, this serves as an important milestone that motivates us to continue and further enhance our waste segregation efforts (Para po sa buong komunidad ang aming pagsisikap at ang panalong ito. Tulong-tulong po talaga kami—araw-araw na lumalabas ang aming barangay staff at community members upang mangolekta ng mga recyclables, na nakatulong mapanatiling malinis at maiwasan ang pagbaha sa aming lugar. Bilang unang award ng barangay, nagbibigay ito ng inspirasyon na ipagpatuloy at pagbutihin ang aming waste segregation efforts).”

CCBPI and MMDA launched the inter-barangay program as a joint sustainability and waste management project initiated upon its memorandum of agreement signing last March 2024.

Beyond raising public awareness about the recyclability of clear PET plastic bottles and the importance of returning Coca-Cola glass bottles and crates, the program harnesses the strong support and ingenuity of each participating community as they executed their own innovative strategies to support their collection efforts.

“We thank and congratulate all the winners and participating barangays for demonstrating the power of coming together for this meaningful cause. Their success drives us to do more as we remain steadfast in our dedication to enhancing waste management systems and fostering a greener future for Filipinos,” said Atty. Juan Lorenzo Tañada, VP for Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at CCBPI.

Coca-Cola also highlighted the strength of its partnership with the MMDA, with Tañada noting, “Our partnership with the MMDA has been instrumental in making bottle collection and recycling more accessible to communities. We look forward to pursuing more collaborations with the MMDA as we work together to create long-term solutions to address the country’s waste management challenges.”

MMDA Chairman Atty. Romando S. Artes expressed his optimism that the collaboration with CCBPI and the success of the contest will pave the way for more joint recycling projects from both organizations: “The MMDA views this milestone with CCBPI as just the beginning of many more to come. What truly inspires us is the commitment to sustainability and community involvement exemplified by all barangays, which we should all strive to emulate in our move towards building cleaner communities throughout Metro Manila.”

CCBPI’s national collection program, “Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo!”, aims to collect clear PET plastic bottles and recyclable bottle packaging, regardless of brand. The goal is for all collected bottles to be brought to the PETValue Philippines, the country’s pioneering bottle-to-bottle recycling facility built through a partnership between CCBPI and Indorama Ventures. The recycling facility transforms post-consumer clear PET bottles into new food-grade recycled PET (rPET) bottles, giving them limitless lives.

The program also seeks to promote the value of Coca-Cola’s returnable glass bottles (RGBs), which are brought back to its manufacturing plants to be washed and reused through a process that equips the highest quality and sustainability standards.

With upcoming partnerships in both the public and private sectors, CCBPI continues to champion the importance of collective environmental responsibility among Filipinos, working together to achieve the beverage giant’s goal of a World Without Waste.