Coca-Cola launches global initiative to reshape supply systems: 'Catalyze long-term change'
The Coca-Cola Foundation has teamed up with the United Nations Development Programme in an effort to combat plastic waste in Sri Lanka.
According to Economy Next, the UNDP is giving Sri Lanka $1.1 million to develop a system for managing the country's plastic waste. The agency's Sri Lanka office will oversee the execution of the project.
"Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, and addressing it requires collaborative, scalable action," UNDP Sri Lanka deputy resident representative Malin Herwig told EN.
"This project will not only help reduce plastic leakage into ecosystems but also catalyze long-term change in how plastic is managed and valued in Sri Lanka," Herwig continued.
Plastic pollution is a global crisis, with a staggering 460 million metric tons of plastic waste produced each year across the globe, per the U.N. Environment Programme.
Since plastic is not biodegradable, it leaches toxic chemicals into the environment that threaten the health of ecosystems. As a result, plastic waste management is essential for ensuring a safe future.
Across the globe, countries are developing innovative ways to reduce plastic waste and mitigate its environmental footprint.
Though this project is a step in the right direction, Coca-Cola still generates a significant amount of plastic waste. Despite its plastic waste reduction campaigns, the company is one of the world's biggest plastic polluters and has been accused of greenwashing.
However, the new partnership and project with the UNDP demonstrate Coca-Cola's efforts to combat plastic waste on a global scale.
Eight other countries in the region are part of the $15 million initiative: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, and Vietnam.
Do you think America has a plastic waste problem?
Definitely
Only in some areas
Not really
I'm not sure
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
"The project is expected to contribute to collecting at least 55,610 tons of plastics and support 72,100 direct beneficiaries during the implementation period across all nine participating countries," EN stated.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
With a 63-Year History of Dividend Hikes, It's a King Among Kings
Investors might be looking to add safe and steady companies to their portfolios in uncertain times. This industry-leading beverage business announced a dividend increase in February, continuing a streak that's now at 63 years. With a powerful brand, global presence, and incredible profitability, this company's dividend looks very safe. 10 stocks we like better than Coca-Cola › It has been a turbulent year for markets. Investors are concerned about the state of the economy. And ongoing geopolitical tensions don't help alleviate worries. In this type of environment, it might be difficult to find places to invest your hard-earned savings. During uncertain times, which is the perfect way to characterize 2025 thus far, there's one monster dividend stock that investors might turn to if they want to earn steady income. This industry-leading enterprise is a king among kings that could be just what your portfolio needs. As of June 23, shares of Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) have climbed 12% in 2025. This gain trounces the S&P 500 index's 2% rise this year. It appears the market is placing a high value on a safe and stable business, given the uncertainty surrounding the future from both macroeconomic and geopolitical perspectives. Coca-Cola is as steady as they come. It sees durable demand for its popular beverages. Unlike many other companies in different industries, Coca-Cola just isn't as exposed to the whims of the economic cycle. Consumers still love to spend money on their favorite drinks, no matter what's going on. I think this will still be true decades from now. There is minimal threat Coca-Cola will become obsolete. For starters, it has one of the most iconic brands in history. This leads to tremendous customer loyalty and proven pricing power. Coca-Cola has a leading market share in the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink industry on a global scale. And it has a presence in more than 200 countries. Coca-Cola's profitability is hard to ignore. Since it primarily offloads the capital-intensive bottling and distribution process to third parties, the company can operate a more efficient business model. This explains how the company posted a superb 32.9% operating margin in Q1 (ended March 28). The leadership team seems fairly confident as it looks ahead. Coca-Cola expects organic revenue to rise 5% to 6% in 2025. And to add a level of optimism, executives believe the ongoing tariff "impact to be manageable." Coca-Cola's profitability is impressive. Management is intensely focused on returning its excess cash to shareholders in the form of dividends. This company is a Dividend King, having raised its payout in a jaw-dropping 63 straight years (and counting). The last bump was announced in February, with the current dividend yield now at 2.87%. That dividend is a boon for investors with sizable stakes in the beverage giant. Just look at Berkshire Hathaway, which owns 400 million shares. This brings in $816 million in annualized income for the Warren Buffett-led conglomerate. To be clear, I think Coca-Cola makes sense as a worthy investment candidate only for those who care mostly about dividend income. It's difficult to predict what the future will hold, but there's certainly a good chance the company will continue to increase its payout indefinitely. And if broader macro concerns are on your mind, owning Coca-Cola could provide much-needed peace of mind for your portfolio. But for those investors who want to generate market-beating returns from the stocks they own, it's probably best to avoid Coca-Cola. Even including dividends, the stock has underperformed the S&P 500 in the past three-, five-, and 10-year periods. That's not exactly a track record that attracts growth investors. I see no reason to expect this trend to change over the next decade and beyond. Before you buy stock in Coca-Cola, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Coca-Cola wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $704,676!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $950,198!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,048% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 175% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. With a 63-Year History of Dividend Hikes, It's a King Among Kings was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gas prices in Canada fall most since April; Vancouver books biggest discount
Canada's weekly gas price average booked its biggest drop since April, after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran sent crude oil benchmarks tumbling. Nationwide, the biggest discounts were in Vancouver and Mississauga, Ont. According to Bloomberg, oil prices swung about US$15 per barrel this week, spiking on Monday after the U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear sites. U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire after the strike, easing concerns about a supply disruption in a region that pumps about a third of the world's crude. Canada's gas price average fell 5.9 cents per litre of regular fuel between June 19 and June 26 to $1.415, according to data from Kalibrate. Drivers in Vancouver saw the biggest change at the pumps, with prices falling 13.9 cents per litre. The second-largest decline was 7.7 cents in Mississauga, Ont. At this time last year, Canada's gas price average was $1.67 per litre of regular fuel. En-Pro International chief petroleum analyst Roger McKnight says the Iran-Israel conflict is firmly in the driver's seat when it comes to the near-term direction of prices. "You can rattle on all you want about physical inventories that mirror supply and demand, refinery runs, and demand numbers. What matters is that since [Trump] attacked Iran that controls the choke point where 20 per cent of total crude oil supply must flow through, then US$80 per barrel crude is a distinct possibility," McKnight wrote in a blog post on Thursday. Earlier this week, Statistics Canada reported gasoline prices led the decline in consumer energy prices again in May, down 15.5 per cent year-over-year, after declining 18.1 per cent in April. The federal data agency says the annual inflation rate held steady at 1.7 per cent last month. Gasoline consumption fell 3.5 per cent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants. Managing partner Andrew King says consumption is being pulled down in part by more electric vehicles on the road, and more fuel-efficient internal combustion and hybrid cars, trucks, and SUVs. 'ZEVs (zero-emission vehicles) still continued to grow their share of the overall light vehicle fleet despite the collapse in their sales for the first quarter of 2025," he wrote in a report published on Wednesday. "In addition, the slight decline in gas consumption is to be expected in line with a slowing economy as trade-related issues start to impact employment levels. Indeed, with 82% of Canadians using a light vehicle to get to work, change in employment is one of the key variables we will be monitoring this summer.' Follow Yahoo Finance Canada for more weekly gas price updates. Scroll below to find your nearest city. (All figures in CAD cents) Location June 19 June 26 Price Change Canada Average (V) 147.4 141.5 -5.9 WHITEHORSE 161.9 161.9 0 VANCOUVER* 172.9 159 -13.9 VICTORIA 167.8 167.5 -0.3 PRINCE GEORGE 137.5 144.9 7.4 KAMLOOPS 146.2 146.2 0 KELOWNA 149.1 144.6 -4.5 FORT ST. JOHN 147.9 145.9 -2 ABBOTSFORD 157.3 150.4 -6.9 YELLOWKNIFE 144.7 141.9 -2.8 CALGARY* 135.3 131.2 -4.1 RED DEER 133.6 134.3 0.7 EDMONTON 131.4 125.2 -6.2 LETHBRIDGE 128.4 131 2.6 LLOYDMINSTER 127.9 132.9 5 GRANDE PRAIRIE 132.5 129.3 -3.2 REGINA* 132.5 132.3 -0.2 SASKATOON 135.4 135.5 0.1 PRINCE ALBERT 132.9 131.5 -1.4 MOOSE JAW 135.6 135.6 0 WINNIPEG * 134.9 134.9 0 BRANDON 134.9 131.9 -3 CITY OF TORONTO* 140 133.7 -6.3 BRAMPTON 140.6 133.2 -7.4 ETOBICOKE 139.7 133 -6.7 MISSISSAUGA 140 132.3 -7.7 NORTH YORK 140.7 133.6 -7.1 SCARBOROUGH 139.7 133.2 -6.5 VAUGHAN/MARKHAM 140.4 133.3 -7.1 OTTAWA 137.9 132.6 -5.3 KINGSTON 130.4 130.7 0.3 PETERBOROUGH 133.1 128.6 -4.5 WINDSOR 139.2 131.6 -7.6 LONDON 140.4 133.2 -7.2 SUDBURY 139.6 133.1 -6.5 SAULT STE MARIE 129.4 128.1 -1.3 THUNDER BAY 143.9 137.9 -6 NORTH BAY 141.1 142.5 1.4 TIMMINS 144.6 144.6 0 HAMILTON 137.5 132.1 -5.4 ST. CATHARINES 137.2 129.6 -7.6 BARRIE 139.2 132.6 -6.6 BRANTFORD 139 131.5 -7.5 GUELPH 139.5 133 -6.5 KITCHENER 137.8 131.2 -6.6 OSHAWA 139.9 133.1 -6.8 SARNIA 126.6 130.9 4.3 MONTRÉAL* 163.3 155.8 -7.5 QUÉBEC 153.8 153.4 -0.4 SHERBROOKE 151.6 151.2 -0.4 GASPÉ 157.4 157.4 0 CHICOUTIMI 137.3 139 1.7 RIMOUSKI 151.4 151.4 0 TROIS RIVIÈRES 153.9 154.4 0.5 DRUMMONDVILLE 150.6 150.3 0.3 VAL D'OR 159.4 159.6 0.2 GATINEAU 136.8 135.9 -0.9 SAINT JOHN* 137.5 142.9 5.4 FREDERICTON 138.8 143.4 4.6 MONCTON 138.9 142.8 3.9 BATHURST 138.8 143.4 4.6 EDMUNDSTON 137.4 143.6 6.2 MIRAMICHI 139.8 144.8 5 CAMPBELLTON 139.7 144.9 5.2 SUSSEX 138.2 143.5 5.3 WOODSTOCK 140 144.7 4.7 HALIFAX* 139.3 145.9 6.6 SYDNEY 141.2 147.6 6.4 YARMOUTH 140.3 146.7 6.4 TRURO 140.4 146.8 6.4 KENTVILLE 139.9 146.2 6.3 NEW GLASGOW 140.4 146.8 6.4 CHARLOTTETOWN* 149.6 154.8 5.2 ST JOHNS* 148.9 152.9 4 GANDER 152.7 153.7 1 LABRADOR CITY 156.1 160.3 4.2 CORNER BROOK 149.9 154 4.1 GRAND FALLS 152.7 154.2 1.5 SOURCE: KALIBRATE • All figures in CAD cents (*) Denotes markets used in Volume Weighted Canada Average Jeff Lagerquist is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on X @jefflagerquist. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Worried About a Bear Market? 3 Reasons to Buy Coca-Cola Stock Like There's No Tomorrow
Its product lines are not only always in demand, but enjoy strong pricing power. International tariff tensions and trade posturing don't pose major threats to its business. While not entirely immune to the effect of a bear market, the stock can be more comfortable to own. 10 stocks we like better than Coca-Cola › Stocks may have fought their way back from a bear market since April. But that recovery rally hasn't exactly been convincing. Several economic red flags are still waving, and now there's the potential for escalating conflict in and around the Middle East. The stock market could still be easily upended. If that's a worry for you, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll need to bail out of the market altogether. However, you'll want to try owning fewer stocks that are especially vulnerable to a bear market, while taking on more exposure to stocks that can stand up to economic weakness and recover reliably once it passes. The pick of the proverbial litter is arguably beverage behemoth Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), for several reasons, three of which stand out among the rest. There's the Coca-Cola you know. That's the company with the world's best-selling soda of the same name, along with its derivatives like Diet Coke, Coke Zero, and Cherry Coke. Then there's the Coca-Cola you may not know. This is also the company behind Gold Peak tea, Minute Maid juice, Sprite, Powerade, Dasani water, and Powerade, just to name a few. It's got choices for consumers' ever-changing preferences, and can serve all beverage markets ranging from bulk-grocery to convenience stores to foodservice. That's not quite what makes Coca-Cola stock such a great bear market buy, although it's closely related. Rather, this beverage giant does well in all kinds of markets because its products are so well-loved and frequently used that consumers worldwide don't think twice about buying them -- even when the future is bleak and money may be tight. For perspective, despite the rampant inflation of the prior couple of years, its total sales volume was up slightly in both 2023 and 2024, while price increases allowed for organic revenue growth of 12% in both years. In other words, consumers and commercial customers willingly paid higher prices for Coca-Cola-made drinks. It's unlikely that a bear market would cause anyone to rethink this affordable indulgence. Although economic weakness and geopolitical trade tensions don't inherently go hand-in-hand, it would be naïve to believe one wouldn't exacerbate the other if either worsened. Companies relying on overseas revenue could be caught up in a trade war in the near future, stymied by tariffs that are largely meant to be punitive, or used as leverage. That's not a particularly big worry for Coca-Cola, though. There's very little product being made domestically that's being shipped across any border. By and large, Coca-Cola products are bottled where they're sold. The company works with roughly 200 different third-party bottlers that collectively manage about 950 production facilities located all over the world. In countries where its branded beverages aren't made, they're readily supplied by nearby facilities that aren't facing the same steep import/export tariffs most U.S. companies and consumers are suddenly facing. The only real cross-border concern Coca-Cola faces is the taxation of its profits earned overseas that are repatriated back into the United States, which isn't exactly the worst problem to have. The lingering inflation that could not only help cause a bear market, but worsen because of one, is certainly nothing to dismiss. Just keep the company's business model in mind. Coca-Cola's bottom line is largely linked to the amount of its branded beverages that are consumed, rather than the actual profitability of those packaged products. Most of the cost-based risk here is ultimately borne by its third-party bottling partners and distributors, which cover the bulk of variable expenses like delivery, local promotion, and production. Finally, if you're worried a bear market is now inevitable, buy Coca-Cola stock because its above-average dividend could prove valuable in an environment where almost everything else is underperforming. Be careful of reading too much into this broad idea. While the idea that growth stocks underperform during bear markets as certain value stocks manage to climb makes superficial sense, most stocks still lose ground during prolonged marketwide sell-offs. There aren't actually any proven safe-haven stocks, including Coca-Cola's, which has often fallen in step with the overall market during each of the last several technical recessions. Don't lose sight of another way Coca-Cola provides value, regardless of the market. Newcomers will be plugging into a stock with a forward-looking yield of just under 3%, based on a dividend that's now been raised for 63 consecutive years. There's no end in sight to this streak, either. This cash flow might not fully offset any setback that Coke shares may or may not suffer during and because of a bear market. Obviously, nobody can predict the future. But you can limit your overall risk by owning more stocks of resilient income-generating businesses and scaling back your exposure to more economically vulnerable ones. That's often enough. Everybody "takes some lumps" during bear markets. You just want to be sure you're fully invested at the beginning of new bull markets, since that's when some of the market's best gains are made. A safer dividend-paying name like Coca-Cola allows you to do this comfortably, even though it's impossible to predict when a new bull market will begin. The fact that the stock also gives you a small chance of logging gains during the bear market itself is just a bonus. Before you buy stock in Coca-Cola, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Coca-Cola wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $687,731!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $945,846!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 818% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 175% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 23, 2025 James Brumley has positions in Coca-Cola. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Worried About a Bear Market? 3 Reasons to Buy Coca-Cola Stock Like There's No Tomorrow was originally published by The Motley Fool
