MUMBAI: Beverage major Coca-Cola India and its foundation, Anandana, has collaborated with the PHD Rural Development Foundation (PHDRDF) and Prayagraj Mela Authority (PMA) to spearhead sustainability initiatives at Maha Kumbh 2025. This collaboration focusses on creating a social and environmental impact by championing solutions for waste management and recycling.
As part of the Maidaan Saaf campaign, the company has created and distributed 21,500 recycled PET jackets for sanitation workers, boatmen and waste management volunteers. This includes 10,000 jackets for sanitation workers involved in the SwachhKumbh initiative, 10,000 life jackets for boatmen across 4000 boats to stay safe during river crossings, and 1,500 jackets for volunteers who are working on waste management. These jackets look to ensure the safety and easy identification of workers while showcasing the transformative potential of recycled plastic, encouraging visitors to rethink about the uses of waste and its possibilities. In addition, Coca-Cola India has installed 1,000 changing rooms for women, that are made entirely from recycled multi layered plastic waste which are erected alongside the 12 km stretch of the river ghats. Designed to ensure women’s privacy and a well-ventilated space for female visitors to change, these rooms feature illustrations by top Indian illustrators, Aravani Art Project, Gaysi Family, and Priyankar Gupta, turning waste segregation and recycling into a depiction.
“The Mahakumbh Mela is a sacred confluence of faith, culture, and tradition, attracting millions globally. This partnership with Coca-Cola India is a vital step toward embedding sustainable practices into this historic event. By introducing recycled plastic initiatives like changing rooms, life jackets, and hydration kiosks, we are setting a benchmark for a cleaner, safer, and eco-conscious Kumbh. These efforts resonate deeply with our vision of a Swachh (Clean) and Surakshit (Safe) Kumbh, where modern solutions meet traditional values to create a meaningful and lasting impact for generations to come,” said Vivek Vyas, CEO, PHD Rural Development Foundation (PHDRDF), social arm of PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Devyani Rana, VP, Coca Cola India said, ” At Coca-Cola India, we believe in the power of innovation to drive meaningful change. These initiatives showcase how recycling can help transform discarded items into valuable resources. Through Maidaan Saaf, we aim to unite millions of visitors in collective action to help reduce waste, reinforcing our commitment to supporting waste management systems that help ensure product packaging has a second life.”
Building on this, Coca-Cola India has deployed Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) at railway stations, food courts, and key locations in the city for collection and recycling of PET waste, along with partnerships for effective waste management. Furthermore, Coca-Cola’s hydration carts, placed every 400 meters, feature built-in bins for waste collection of bottles from source and display artwork. The aim is to encourage visitors to actively engage in waste segregation, turning waste into a resource.
Through these initiatives, Coca-Cola India, PHDRDP, and PMA are looking to help the Maha Kumbh 2025 serve as an example of how actions can lead to impactful change.
