Coca-Cola Philippines in partnership with Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies Inc. (BEST) and the Philippine Association of Stores and Carinderia Owners (PASCO), has launched a program aimed to incentivize the recycling and proper collection of plastic bottles in Bacolod City.
The parties said the Tindahan Extra Mile: Balik PET Bottle Program project will engage 500 sari-sari stores and carinderias as new collection partners.
Through Tindahan Extra Mile (TEM), participating micro-retailers will receive financial incentives by collecting PET plastic bottles.
Under the program, residents can also drop off their empty bottles for recycling while participating store owners will accrue environmental points proportional to the bottles they collect, redeemable for cash or products through a mobile app.
“Investing in the Tindahan Extra Mile program aligns perfectly with Coca-Cola Philippines’ goal to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle we sell in the country. By empowering women micro-retailers, who make up a significant portion of sari-sari stores and carinderia owners in the Philippines, TEM creates a convenient and accessible network for consumers to recycle,” said Pablo Medina, Coca Cola Philippines senior director for franchise operations, in a statement.
The parties said that interested sari-sari store and carinderia owners can become a member of the program by singing up on the bXTRA app.
Afterwards, participants can start collecting empty PET plastic bottles and bring them to the nearest cashback collection hub to exchange PET bottles for a TEM kit and card to start earning environmental points.
Coca Cola Philippines said it will also bring the program to to other areas such as Cebu and Cagayan de Oro in the later part of the year. -J. Macapagal
