NEW JOINT VOLUNTEER ECO-ACTION FOR CLEANING THE VARDAR QUAY

Organized by Pivara Skopje, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Pakomak, the tracks and shores on both sides of the river Vardar in the central city area of Skopje were cleaned again this year. The objective of the most recent eco-action, which featured the employees of Pivara Skopje who participated on a volunteer basis, was to collect the entire dry waste on both sides of the Vardar quay, which will be further adequately recycled.

British ambassador Charles Gareth, as well as US Ambassador Jess L. Baily with their teams joined the new eco-action held under the motto “Clean Up, Tweet Up”. The meaningful support of the action for cleaning the Vardar quay hase been given by the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Bujar Osmani with employees from his office. The communication on the social network Twitter allowed citizens to participate in the action.

“The protection and improvement of the environment are one of the most important areas to which we are committed as a company, but also as individuals who allocate part of their working time as volunteers to contribute to the success of such eco-actions,” said Lambro Patche, Public Affairs and Communications Manager in Pivara Skopje. “Pivara Skopje, as one of the founding members of Pakomak, continuously invests serious finances that ensure the efficient operation of the packaging waste management system. As a company we are constantly working to achieve and exceed our, but also the national, environmental targets for collection and recycling of packaging waste. At the same time, we would like to appeal to other companies to take their share of responsibility and engage in financing the waste packaging collection and recycling systems, thus providing a more efficient resolution of the pollution problem and creating a sustainable future for everyone,” Patche emphasized.

This is the third volunteer eco-action organized by Pivara Skopje, Pakomak and the Embassy of the Netherlands. In the previous two actions, the shore and waters of the Matka Lake were cleaned, as well as the quay of the Vardar River, which was also this year’s venue for collecting dry waste. This year’s action is part of the activities for the celebration of the “King’s Day”, national holiday of the Netherlands.

“I am happy that this year we are celebrating our National Day also with a clean-up tweet-up action with our partners and friends. We combined the beautiful and the useful and once again tried to contribute to reducing the pollution which is a major problem for the people and the nature. This problem can only be solved with more work, dedication and cooperation among the public institutions, the business sector and the citizens. Today we want to show that each and every one of us can lead by example and be part of the solution any problems”, said the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Wouter Plomp.

Pakomak – the specialized company with the core business of packaging waste management aimed at minimizing its adverse effects on the environment – provided the entire logistic support for appropriate transport, selection and recycling of the collected waste.

“For the seventh year in a row, with the regular support and finances we receive from our founders and other members of our sistem, Pakomak manages to exceed the annual national environmental targets stipulated by the state for the collection and proper treatment of packaging waste. However, there are entities that supply packaging waste on the market, but they do not participate in the financing of collection and recycling systems, nor do they pay to the state, thereby directly damaging the environment and the budget. This is a clear indication of where the solutions should be sought. The burden and the responsibility for solving the problems must be borne by everyone,” said Filip Ivanovski, Executive Director of Pakomak.

Also the scuba divers from the speleo – diving club “Vrelo” have contributed the action who were all well equipped and prepared with their boats in realizing the action.

Minimizing the environmental footprint is a strategic goal of Pivara Skopje. Following the global leadership of the Coca-Cola HBC Group in the field of sustainable development, as well as the sustainability practices of HEINEKEN, Pivara Skopje continuously invests in this field and carries out specific activities that contribute to a cleaner environment.

These activities are aimed at the proper management of packaging waste, as well as the reduction of energy consumption and water savings. As one of the founders of Pakomak, Pivara Skopje constantly invests in the efficiency of the system for collection and recycling of the entire packaging waste in the country.

Pivara Skopje, together with the other members of the Coca-Cola HBC group, has been ranked first in the world in the beverages industry for its past efforts for sustainability and the evident results in environmental protection, according to the prestigious global ranking “Dow Jones Sustainability Indices”.