Coca-Cola India is teaming up with the International Cricket Council to launch an initiative to encourage attendees of the ICC Women’s World Cup to promote responsible waste management and recycling.
The CSR Universe reported that the soft drink giant and the ICC will collaborate to engage with and educate fans on sustainable practices, from proper waste segregation to fan-focused recycling events.
The events are running from September 30 to November 3, 2025, throughout the duration of the tournament, which is being held in Sri Lanka and India.
Cricket is a massive sport in the Indian subcontinent and is popular throughout the Commonwealth. The Indian Premier League is one of the best-attended sports leagues in the world, and the women’s game has come a long way in recent years. The opening match at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati, India, between the two host countries, attracted a record 22,843 fans.
A spokesperson for Coca-Cola noted the power of the sport’s popularity in instituting lasting changes:
“Cricket connects millions of people, and through Maidaan Saaf we want to ensure these shared moments of joy also leave a positive impact,” said Devyani Rana, vice president of public affairs, communications and sustainability with Coca-Cola India & South West Asia. “Our work with ICC and grassroots partners demonstrates that major sporting events can inspire communities to recycle more and waste less, while still delivering an unforgettable fan experience.”
Eco-friendly initiatives by major brands are welcome and often worth supporting, but it’s equally important to be vigilant against cynical greenwashing. While this is a positive step for Coca-Cola, the company’s environmental record is still poor.
Perhaps most notably, its plastic use placed it at the top of a select group of companies that produced half of the world’s plastic pollution between 2018 and 2022, according to a study published in Science Advances.
Moves like electrifying delivery fleets and supporting clean-up projects are certainly positives. Still, the company’s conduct during the Paris Olympics left much to be desired from an environmental perspective.
The ICC’s chief commercial officer, Anurag Dahiya, hailed the most recent initiative and spoke of its possibilities: “Through this partnership with Coca-Cola India, we are embedding sustainability into the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Fans will see how simple actions like segregating waste or celebrating recycled creations can make our sport more inclusive and responsible.”
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