Matola, Mozambique – A group of 50 women packaging collectors successfully completed a 16-week training programme focused on health and safety, waste management as well as technical, micro-business and leadership skills with the support of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Mozambique. The graduates recently received their certificates for the training programme at a closing ceremony. 

The programme, known as Valorização e Empoderamento da Mulher (VEM), was held in Boane, Matola, in partnership with a local recycling company between May and August last year, followed by a three-month monitoring and evaluation phase lasting until November 2024.  

The training emphasised procedures for collecting, sorting and transporting packaging, specifically PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles. It also included the establishment of formal collection teams which empower collectors as business owners.     

After learning the process of collecting PET material, the participants are able to sell the material to the recycling company, which converts it into PET flakes. The flakes are then sent to South Africa and India, where they are recycled. As part of the training, the graduates received personal protective equipment and tricycles to transport the collected material. 

The train-the-trainer model, in which each participant imparted their newly acquired skills to at least 12 others, effectively promoted the dissemination of essential health and safety knowledge. It also emphasised the importance of recycling and fostered greater awareness among both waste collectors and community members. 

“We act in ways that aim to help improve people’s lives – whether for our employees, those connected to our business, or the communities we call home,” said general manager of CCBA in Mozambique, Duncan Wyness. 

“People are at the centre of everything we do. Community involvement allows us to bring positive, measurable change to the communities in which we operate and to our business. Together we can make a difference for a better shared future,” Wyness said. 

“We remain committed to helping create shared value for our business and the communities we serve,” Wyness concluded.