Ada Derana reported that soft drink giant Coca-Cola has made a business move that will help create a cleaner planet. On March 18 — World Recycling Day — Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka launched the first electric three-wheeler, or e-tuk, for plastic waste management in the country at the Central Environmental Authority.
The company was the country's first to establish material recovery facilities. There are now 600 collection sites in the nation. The move fits with the Coca-Cola Foundation's partnership with the U.N. Development Programme to fund plastic waste management solutions across Asia. Electrifying and converting the commonly used tuk-tuk for plastic waste management and recycling is vital in a world where microplastics fill landfills, oceans, and drinking water and have made their way into the human body.
Tuk-tuks have been a form of transport in South Asia since the mid-20th century but rely on dirty fuels that contribute to the region's air pollution. The investment in electric ones can significantly reduce those smog-producing carbon emissions. For example, per AZo CleanTech, electrifying most of India's millions of new tuk-tuks by 2030 could reduce carbon dioxide pollution by 850 million tons.
Some of Coca-Cola's packagers have switched from plastic rings to paperboard carriers, according to Packaging Drive. While these steps matter, the company still has a long way to go before being considered a friend to the planet.
Paper packaging is biodegradable, but much damage has already been done. Those six-pack plastic rings have been photodegradable — i.e., they degrade in sunlight within 60-120 days — by law since 1989, but they still take longer to break down in water. One freshwater turtle named Peanut had to spend the rest of her life in captivity because her shell and body were so warped by such a ring.
Then, there is Coca-Cola's recent greenwashing debacle. It pledged that 25% of its bottles would be returnable or refillable by 2030 and had a recycled material target of 50% — but then quietly backtracked. The brand did team with the New Orleans project Recycle Dat! at Mardi Gras 2025, installing interactive recycling stations along the parade route.
"We aim to inspire other corporations to embrace eco-friendly practices, commit to net-zero goals, and drive meaningful change in waste management," said Thamari Senanayake, director of public affairs, communications, and sustainability of Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka.
Don't care for soda? No problem — there are other brands with eco-friendly initiatives that you can support.
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