World Environment Day: BIDCO Africa unveils plan to combat plastic pollution

Addressing students at Mang'u High School in Kiambu County, BIDCO Africa's Group Director, Chris Diaz, announced their strong focus on finding solutions to plastic pollution in alignment with this year's World Environment Day theme, #BeatPlasticPollution.

“Earth’s sheer incredible beauty and wildly varied landscapes can move us to think about better ways of protecting the planet for future generations because we all agree that environmental conservation goes beyond tree planting,” said Mr. Diaz.

He stated that environmental conservation extends beyond simply planting trees and unveiled BIDCO's strategic plan to adopt a circular economy approach, gradually reducing the use of materials and eliminating unnecessary plastics throughout their value chain.

Explaining the details of BIDCO's circular economy focus, Mr. Diaz mentioned specific measures they have taken, such as eliminating top seals on water products and introducing innovative, lightweight packaging technologies. 

By continuously improving their operations, BIDCO aims to eliminate unnecessary plastics and enhance recyclability.

Joining Mr. Diaz in highlighting the urgency of addressing plastic pollution, BIDCORO's Chief Operating Officer, Mads Burmester, drew attention to the staggering annual production of 400 million tonnes of plastic, with a significant portion being single-use items. 

“It’s all up to us now, plastic is not the problem, the problem is that we don’t recycle ♻️ and we don’t pick it up; so, let’s all begin to pick up, minimum one piece of plastic per day, recycle it and again from strength to strength in building a pollution free planet, “said Mads.

“With our SunTop brand we have already moved on to the next step, by launching our 250 ml SunTop juice in tetra pack with a paper straw but remember it’s all up to each of us, to make a difference,” added Mads.

The event at Mang'u High School brought together learners from Good Testimony School and the Mount Kenya University Environmental Club, along with representatives from the KEPSA Foundation and the Women in Business Network.

BIDCO's visit to the school marked the second time following the launch of their "Feed and Green our Schools Program" in 2018. This program, tailored for educational institutions, aims to instill a culture of environmental conservation among students from a young age, while also supplementing their dietary needs through the planting of fruit trees on school premises.

Expressing their gratitude for BIDCO's support, Mr. John Kuria, Chief Principal of Mang'u High School, highlighted the impact of their partnership in planting over 700 fruit trees at their Orchard Farm, as well as an additional 600 indigenous trees within the school compound.

“We remain grateful to BIDCO and its partners for helping us plant over 700 fruit trees at our Orchard Farm plus another 600 indigenous trees within the school compound,” said Mr. John Kuria, Chief Principal – Mang’u High School.