Building Environmental Awareness During Ramadan: CCEP Indonesia Collaborates With 15 Islamic Boarding Schools

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - In order to strengthen social and environmental commitments in the month of Ramadan, the Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia (CCEP Indonesia) held a series of activities with 15 elected Islamic boarding schools throughout Indonesia from 26 to 28 March 2024. This program, entitled "Clean Ramadan, Holy Ramadan", is designed to unite the values of togetherness and environmental sustainability.

Islamic boarding schools, as educational institutions that combine physical and spiritual learning, were chosen because of their crucial role in shaping character and increasing environmental awareness among students.

"Through 'Clean Ramadan, Holy Ramadan', we want to encourage students to become agents of change in their communities, understand the importance and adopt important values about cleanliness and environmental sustainability through the importance of collecting responsible waste," said Lucia Karina, PACS Director at CCEP Indonesia, in a statement, Saturday 30 March.

This program includes a waste management workshop to educate students about the importance of sorting waste and forming a waste bank, as well as breaking the fast together that is heartwarming, strengthening the bond between students and pesantren staff. This activity itself involved fifteen Islamic boarding schools spread from Medan, Padang, Lampung, Bandung, Magelang, to Pasuruan.

In total, 4,950 students participated in this training program. Not only that, in this activity, 23 trash cans were also handed over, which is a reflection of joint efforts to educate and encourage better environmental management practices.

This program received a positive response from the boarding schools involved. One of the program participants, Al Hidayah As Sonhaji Islamic Boarding School, Pasuruan welcomed the waste management training activities this time. According to him, one of the problems that sometimes escape attention in the pesantren environment is waste management. Therefore, he hopes that activities like this can be carried out in a sustainable manner.

"I personally hope that activities such as waste management training can be carried out in a sustainable manner in order to realize ideal waste management in the pesantren environment. It would be better if pesantren could manage their waste independently," said KH. Sonhaji Abdussomad, Caretaker of the Al-Hidayah 2 Islamic Boarding School in Lecari, Sukarejo District, Pasuruan Regency, East Java.

The waste management workshop is in line with CCEP Indonesia's focus on the sustainability action plan as stated in the global commitment of This is Forward. As a bottled and distribution company for packaged drinks, CCEP Indonesia is committed to realizing circular economic practices.

There are several main components in the company's circular economic strategy, including reaching 100 percent of recycled packaging and increasing the use of recycled plastic to 50 percent by 2025, as well as eliminating the use of pure oil-based plastic in bottled bottles and recycling each bottle or product can sold by 2030.

In addition, on March 26, CCEP Indonesia also held iftar with employees and orphanages in 11 operational areas throughout Indonesia, showing their commitment to community togetherness and support in the blessed month of Ramadan.