With the cleanup of the area around Lake Novo Čiče, this year’s edition of the From Source to Sea environmental project (“Od izvora do mora”) entered its final stage. Through this project, Coca-Cola, Konzum and Jutarnji list seek to promote preservation of Croatian water resources and encourage proper disposal of packaging waste.
Thanks to the organisational efforts of the Odra Sport Fishing Club from Velika Gorica, the Čiče Cultural Artistic Club from Novo Čiče, and the Novo Čiče Volunteer Fire Department, more than 150 volunteers joined the initiative to clean up Lake Novo Čiče. During the cleanup, the volunteers collected almost 13 tonnes of waste, which was properly disposed of after the event.
This year’s edition of the From Source to Sea project started on 5 June, on the occasion of the World Environment Day, with the cleanup of the Osijek Promenade. That same day, six small-scale environmental cleanup campaigns were organised across Croatia as well – in Valpovo, Bjelovar, Trogir, Karlovac, Varaždin and Zagreb, followed by large-scale cleanups organised on the island of Čiovo and in Duga Resa and Rijeka. A total of 26 tonnes of waste has been collected during the project so far, including the cleanup of the lake in Novo Čiče. At the very end of this year’s edition of the From Source to Sea project, on Tuesday, 28 June, the employees of the project partners, namely Coca-Cola, Konzum and Hanza Media, will participate in the cleanup of the Maksimir Park in Zagreb, which will be organised in the form of plogging, an activity that combines running and collecting waste.
The project has been endorsed by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. Dunja Mazzoco Drvar, Head of the Climate Action Directorate of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, who attended the event, said: “Climate change is taking an increasing toll on our lives. The latest World Meteorological Organisation data show that weather disasters which are directly related to climate change result in 115 deaths and $ 202 million in economic losses daily! To reduce our disastrous impact on climate, we must act quickly and effectively. Large companies, such as Coca-Cola, might just have the most important asset necessary for transition – influence on the consumers! We at the Ministry welcome and gladly respond to all cleanup campaigns taking place in our vicinity, but it would be much better if there were no packaging waste at all. Unfortunately, Croatia has been recording a continued increase in packaging consumption, and in 2019 we produced on average 74 packaging waste per citizen. That’s about the average weight of a Croatian citizen. Just imagine a person made of plastic standing by each and every one of us. On top of that, we still recycle less than half of our packaging waste.”
Krešimir Ačkar, Mayor of Velika Gorica, thanked the organisers and volunteers and stressed that: “Environmental protection and preservation represent one of the greatest challenges the local governments of the Republic of Croatia are facing. And the situation is not different here in Velika Gorica either. This is why we have initiated a whole series of activities aimed at preventing illegal waste disposal in our area, which has increased considerably after the earthquakes in Zagreb and Petrinja, including, for example, installation of hunting cameras in the wider area of the town; cooperation with the Odra Sport Fishing Club and their fishing supervisors, and, of course, cleanup campaigns, such as the From Source to Sea campaign organised today. We owe it to our children and future generation to preserve a clean environment.”
“Coca-Cola launched the From Source to Sea project in 2018 seeking to draw attention to the importance of responsible disposal of packaging waste and preservation of water resources, as well as to promote initiatives aimed at cleaning up the shores of Croatian water bodies – rivers, lakes, and the Adriatic Sea. We would like to thank all the associations who have recognised this project and got involved. During the project’s four years of existence, we have removed more than 53 tonnes of packaging waste from nature. We especially thank the hosts of today’s event, namely the Town of Velika Gorica and the participating associations from Novo Čiče, for communicating together with us the project’s key message – packaging must be properly disposed of and not discarded in the environment,” said Aleksandra Todorović, Head of the Adria BU Community and Customer Relations Department at Coca-Cola HBC Adria.
This year, Konzum partnered with the project as well. Its representative, Denis Validžić, Region Zagreb Director for Super Konzum Stores, said: “I’m glad that Konzum, as a socially responsible company that cares for the environment, has taken part in this year’s edition of the From Source to Sea project. Through our joint efforts, we have helped promote the initiatives to clean up the areas alongside Croatian water bodies. Lake Čiče has always been a popular gathering place for all generations, and the fact that with today’s event we have successfully completed this year’s edition of the project makes me really happy. During the past one month, we have contributed to making the areas that surround us cleaner, healthier and more pleasant, and by doing so also helped improve the quality of life of our fellow citizens.”
Lana Mindoljević, an editor at Jutarnji list, the media partner and co-organiser of this year’s edition of the From Source to Sea project, said: “One month, 11 cleanups, tens of articles on ecology and environmental protection, as well as tonnes and tonnes of waste removed from nature – these are the outcomes of this year’s edition of the project that has entered its final stage today at Lake Čiče in Velika Gorica. Jutarnji list is extremely proud of its contribution to the From Source to Sea project, through which it has helped, in collaboration with its partners Coca-Cola and Konzum, make our environment and the areas alongside our rivers, lakes and our sea more beautiful and cleaner. As a newspaper, we always passionately cover all socially related topics, and ecology is unquestionably one of the most important ones. Our mission is to remain a newspaper that encourages responsibility, knowledge, and environmental awareness. We thank our partners, Coca-Cola and Konzum, and especially all the volunteers here today, and all those who participated in our previous events, for setting aside their time and readily responding to our call to join the cleanup campaigns.”
From Source to Sea is a project implemented as part of the World Without Waste initiative, a comprehensive, multi-year program under which The Coca-Cola Company has committed itself, among other things, to collecting and recycling a bottle or can for every one it sells, to using at least 50 % recycled material in primary packaging by 2030, and to making all primary packaging 100 % recyclable by 2025. In the past 10 years, simply by using lighter bottles, Coca-Cola cut its total plastic consumption by a quarter.
