A recycling program in Samoa is showing what's possible when a community comes together for the planet.

According to Packaging Europe, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) and the Samoa and Tokelau Association of Recyclers (S.T.A.R.) teamed up on the Return and Pay Saturday Initiative.

The program ran in Apia, Samoa's largest city, and offered 5 sene (2 cents) per returned bottle or can. The idea was simple: reward people for recycling and see how much they return.

Turns out, the answer was a lot.

A lot of families and young individuals showed up every Saturday with bags of recyclables. In one weekend alone, the effort earned the community a combined $4,000. In just three months, more than 80,000 plastic bottles and aluminum cans were collected.

The materials are sent to the Coca-Cola distribution center in Vaitele, where they're crushed and prepped for shipment overseas to be recycled into new bottles and cans. It's a hands-on way to fight waste and support a circular economy, in which materials are reused instead of tossed away.

Community leaders and partners are hopeful for the program's progress and future.

According to AL Circle, S.T.A.R. President Nancy Vito said, "When we started at the end of April, we collected around 34,000 beverage containers. … That number has more than doubled since, which is a great sign that our local community is eager to help."

"We're delighted to have such high levels of consumer engagement," Vito continued. "Families, church youth groups, and environmentally concerned citizens are returning their containers and on Saturday earned a total of $4,000 for the effort."

CCEP Samoa sales manager Moira Simi called the project a "strategic initiative" that aligns with the company's goal of making sure its packaging doesn't end up polluting the environment.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"We're proud to partner with S.T.A.R. and look forward to expanding this program to other parts of Samoa," she said.

Of course, Coca-Cola still has work to do. The company has faced criticism for shifting away from reusable glass bottles in Samoa, and for contributing to a growing plastic problem across the globe. But this local effort shows that with community support and the right incentives, a good recycling initiative is possible.

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