Business & Money | Sunday 1 December, 2019 2:00 pm |

Racegoers at the recent ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, made a sizable dent in plastic waste. In its post-event statistics dashboard, PepsiCo’s Saudi-based sustainable solutions partner Naqaa, noted that recycled plastic amounting to 2,630 kg was collected from 100 co-branded Aquafina recycling bins during the season-opening race.

 

The impressive weight of the recycled bottles is equal to three performance-based Formula E electric race cars. The initiative reduced the event’s carbon footprint by saving the emission of 6,575 kg of CO² and conserving 69,576,000 BTUs of heat energy. It also represents a saving of 14.1 cubic meters of landfill space. 

 

Earlier this month Aquafina, the official beverage partner of the Formula E electric car race in Saudi Arabia, announced its intention to recycle plastic at the event and make it the most environmentally friendly car race yet. It handed out co-branded bottles, created numerous recycling points and partnered with Naqaa to sort, recover and track recycled items. By 2025, PepsiCo wants all its packaging 100% recyclable, compostable or biodegradable. 

 

Nadim Nakfoor, MENA FOBO, Senior Vice President & Business Unit General Manager for PepsiCo, thanked partners and the public, saying he was encouraged that so many visitors also wanted to help create a world where plastic never becomes waste.