Aquafina Puts Breaks on Plastic Waste at Formula E to Accelerate Recycling in Saudi

Aquafina, PepsiCo’s brand of purified bottled water and the proud hydration partner of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, plans to make this season opener the first edition of Formula E to be free of plastic waste. The event from 22-23 November 2019 promises to deliver high-intensity electric car racing, and a turbo-charged drive to recycle plastic used at the event in partnership with Naqaa, the Saudi-based sustainable solutions company.

Around 90,000 attendees are expected at Saudi Arabia’s Formula E race. As the official hydration partner, Aquafina will supply more than 350,000 bottles at the event and install several recycling stations with promoters to educate and encourage visitors to recycle.  Aquafina’s sustainable solutions partner Naqaa, will sort, recover and bale the collections at its materials recovery facility, in addition to supplying a daily dashboard with impact stats to track progress.

“Formula E is all about our impact on the environment, making it an excellent opportunity for PepsiCo, through ifs Aquafina brand, to showcase our commitment to build a world where plastic never becomes waste,” said Nadim Nakfoor, MENA FOBO, Senior Vice President & Business Unit General Manager for PepsiCo.

Nakfoor also highlighted the important role of stakeholder engagement and active partnerships: “By working with our partners – Al Jomaih Bottling Plants and Naqaa – we are able to provide hydration to visitors through purified Aquafina water, while upholding our responsibility towards the planet by ensuring as many plastic water bottles as possible are recycled after the event.”

Naqaa, which has a proven track record for environmental solutions, believes its contribution will help make the upcoming Formula E race the most environmentally friendly edition yet.

“By establishing the recycling system at this Formula E, Aquafina is setting a pioneering example of how companies can make a positive impact on the environment. Being one of the key solution-based recycling facilities (in Saudi Arabia), we at Naqaa are thrilled to join Aquafina to further their commitment to going green. Part of Naqaa Sustainability Solutions’ vision is creating waste free events in Saudi to ensure recycling becomes a convenient and viable solution for the public and businesses,” said Mona Othman, co-founder and sustainability consultant for Naqaa. 

As part of PepsiCo’s Winning with Purpose strategy, the company aims to reduce 35% of virgin plastic content across its beverage business by 2025 – which is the equivalent of eliminating 2.5 million metric tons of cumulative virgin plastic. PepsiCo is also committed to designing 100% of packaging to be recyclable, compostable or biodegradable; increasing recycled content in its plastics packaging to 25%; and investing so that recycling rates are increased in key markets all by 2025. 

PepsiCo has led the way in pioneering sound environmental practices through its Aquafina brand and continues to improve its rigorous 7-step purification process as well as its approach in the design and construction of bottles and packaging. Al Jomaih Bottling Plants (ABP) is a bottling franchisee of PepsiCo based in Riyadh, with fully integrated bottling, manufacturing and distribution operations across Saudi Arabia.