Coming Home to Masskara with Coke Studio

This year’s Masskara Festival in Negros Occidental celebrated more color and more music as Coke Studio brought together the Negrenses and the artists of this year’s Coke Studio in one special stage, hyping up the volume and heat along Lacson Street.

The Coke Studio stage was headlined by singer and heartthrob Sam Concepcion, and local bands Cali Island and Aire Band. But more than the music festival, Coca-Cola Philippines also brought to the city of smiles its World Without Waste campaign which seeks to collect every bottle and can that it will produce by 2030, while also including recycled materials into its packaging.

Specially designed trash bins were distributed around key festival areas to help the public segregate recyclables from other wastes, and in the process, help partners Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc., Masskara Foundation, IPM-Construction and Development Corporation Waste Management, and the Department of Public Service Local Waste Management in keeping the streets clean and litter-free despite the large volume of people. Throughout the five days of festivities, almost 80 kilograms of PET bottles were collected for recycling.

“There is so much to be done in order to effectively reduce the waste that we produce, and every small action makes a difference. By helping the public in segregating recyclables from trash, we are slowly making them see that recyclables like PET bottles are readily accessible resources that can and should be given second life and not just end up in our landfills and oceans after one use,” said Jonah de Lumen-Pernia, Coca-Cola Philippines Director for Public Affairs and Communications.

The main streets of Bacolod City were painted with the ubiquitous red banners bearing the iconic Spencerian script font that spells out the well-loved beverage. The heart of Lacson Street was cordoned off Friday afternoon as the huge Coke Studio stage took shape for the night’s festivities.

“The Masskara Festival is an important occasion for us at Coca-Cola Philippines as it is an opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with various stakeholders in Negros as well as give back to our consumers by joining the festivities,” de Lumen-Pernia said.

The beverage brand, through its social responsibility arm, Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, inked several partnerships with government and non-government organizations to help improve the sugar production of small sugar farmers. The partnerships include providing irrigation, high-yielding variety, and technical training for the farmer beneficiaries.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands, such as AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

TuneCycle Pumps Up Recycling Experience at Coke Studio

For most people, waste recycling and creating music are simply two things that are worlds apart. But at the recent launch of Coke Studio Season 2 at the World Trade Center in Manila, these two ideas shared one stage to raise awareness about a growing plastic waste problem among the youth.

One of the highlights of the event was a live demonstration of the TuneCycle, a makeshift recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle grinder that is powered by a pedal mechanism – similar to those found in bicycles. The TuneCycle also has earphones for the user to listen to original Pilipino music (OPM) as they pedal away.

This is part of the global goal of The Coca-Cola Company of a World Without Waste. In January this year, Coca-Cola announced an ambitious goal to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can sold by year 2030. In the Philippines, one of the ways to reach this goal is to bring back PET bottles home through Coke Studio.

“This is an interactive way of making the public, particularly the youth, more involved in recycling. It may be a small step, but it helps inculcate the act of recycling in their lives. As we at Coca-Cola continue to find solutions to realize a World Without Waste, every action, no matter how small, actually counts,” said Jonah de Lumen-Pernia, Director for Public Affairs and Communications of Coca-Cola Philippines.

As one of the avenues that bring Coca-Cola closer to the youth, music is also being tapped to make recycling more relevant to the younger market. As part of the Coke Studio caravan, the TuneCycle aims to amplify how each recyclable PET bottle can have another purpose after the consumption of its content. In the case of TuneCycle, the shredded recyclable PET bottles will become part of eco-bricks that will serve as pavers for a public school.

“Every action to breathe new life into recyclables matters. Every action brings us closer to realizing the vision of a World Without Waste. With the TuneCycle, we are able to inspire more people to find ways for recyclable PET bottles to come home and breathe second lives into them, instead of throwing them in dumpsites, or worst, ending up in our oceans,” said de Lumen-Pernia.

Watch out for future Coke Studio events and bring recyclable PET bottles to their home in Coca-Cola.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands, such as AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey atwww.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.