Coca Cola’s ‘Recycle Me’ campaign and Ikea’s eco-awareness initiative: The sustainability success stories of the week

Here, we round up five positive sustainability stories from this week.

Published every week, this series charts how businesses and sustainability professionals are working to achieve their ‘Mission Possible’ across the campaign’s five key pillars – energy, resources, infrastructure, mobility and sustainability leadership.

Across the UK and across the world, leading businesses, cities, states and regions are turning environmental ambitions into action. Here, we round up five positive sustainability stories from this week.

ENERGY: Econergy launches 92MW solar park project in Romania

Econergy has announced the start of commercial operations at its 92 megawatts (MW) solar park in Parau, Romania.

The project, jointly owned by Econergy and RGreen, began supplying electricity to the grid and will reach full flow in the coming weeks.

It is expected to serve around 70,000 households, reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 6,800 tons annually.

Econergy provided engineering, procurement and construction management services during the project’s construction and will continue to manage assets for the next 10 years.

This development adds to Econergy’s presence in Romania, with a current installed capacity of 247MW and plans for further expansion.

Last year, Econergy connected their Ratesti PV park, the largest in Romania’s history, with a capacity of 155MW. The pipeline is projected to reach 2.2 gigawatts (GW) upon completion, with another 500MW expected to be connected by the end of 2024.

Econergy’s co-found and chief executive Eyal Podhorzer said: “We are establishing ourselves as a key player in the Romanian energy ecosystem, providing much needed clean and secure energy.”

RESOURCES: Coca-Cola announces new global ‘Recycle Me’ campaign

Coca-Cola has unveiled its global out-of-home advertising (OOH)campaign ‘Recycle Me,’ aimed at instilling recycling as a habit among its consumers to promote responsible consumption.

The campaign features creatives depicting the Coca-Cola logo post-can-crushing, alongside a ‘Recycle Me’ call to action.

The initiative aligns with Coca-Cola’s ‘world without waste’ strategy, leveraging its logo to promote sustainability and drive mass-scale recycling efforts.

The campaign has been developed by WPP Open X, led by Ogilvy New York, and will be displayed across various OOH sites in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, along with print and social media platforms.

A documentary film capturing the creative process is set to debut later this month.

Coca-Cola’s global vice president creative strategy Islam ElDessouky said: “At Coca-Cola, we aim to have a world without waste, and we have a unique opportunity to use our marketing to send a powerful message and bring consumers along our journey.”

MOBILITY: Schneider Electric introduces offshore charging station for cruise ships

Schneider Electric has announced a collaboration to develop and deploy the first cold-ironing buoy for cruise ships at anchorage, led by Orcades Marine Management Consultants.

The project aims to cut emissions from cruise ships idling off the Bay of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, enhancing air quality nearshore. The buoy, drawing energy from nearby renewable sources, will charge hybrid cruise ships.

The Bay of Kirkwall was chosen for its popularity as a cruise destination and renewable energy potential, with Orkney already exceeding 100% electricity demand from renewables since 2013.

The initial project – which has received more than £300,000 of funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) – will involve a front-end engineering design, along with a comprehensive feasibility study which looks at the technical, economic and social impacts of the technology.

Schneider Electric’s seaport segment lead Shaun Faulkner said: “There has been an increasing drive to reduce emissions in the maritime industry in recent years.

“This project will be a positive step forward in terms of fulfilling that need and demonstrating what a more sustainable future could look like.”

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: Bring Energy to supply low carbon heating and cooling for UK infrastructure

A new company, Bring Energy, has launched in response to the increasing demand for low-carbon heat networks in UK cities.

Supported by a consortium of UK and international investors, Bring Energy aims to extend low and net-zero carbon heating and cooling to both new and existing communities, aligning with national decarbonisation targets while fostering local job creation, regional growth and inward investment.

Bring Energy’s portfolio encompasses prominent sites such as the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, ExCel Centre, Battersea Power Station and expansive city-centre networks in Birmingham, Coventry, Edinburgh, Leicester, Newcastle and Southampton.

The company’s focus lies in expediting the deployment of sustainable city-scale heating and cooling solutions, optimising current networks, enhancing customer service and decarbonising its portfolio.

Its inaugural project involves installing a large-scale water source heat pump at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to recover wasted heat from cooling processes.

Bring Energy’s executive chairman Richard Burrell said: “Bring Energy is committed to leading the way in the UK to create new jobs and support the wider net-zero transition to decarbonise and upgrade existing networks.”

SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP: Ikea rewards sustainability efforts in school competition 

Ikea and Let’s Go Zero have announced winners in their sustainable schools’ competition. Each winning school will receive £1,500 worth of Ikea products to support their sustainability efforts.

Four UK schools were selected from more than 70 entries, showcasing efforts in sustainability. The competition offered schools sustainability product packages, including a uniform swap shop, a sustainability hub, or outdoor seating and furniture.

The winning schools demonstrated dedication to upcycling, repairing, outdoor learning and eco-awareness. Their videos highlighted ongoing sustainability initiatives and plans for utilising Ikea’s products.

Ikea UK’s sustainability manager Greg Lucas said: “The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for people. Climate change threatens this, for citizens today and for generations to come.”

Let’s Go Zero’s head Alex Green said: “It’s great to see such brilliant examples of schools working on zero carbon solutions – improving their schools’ facilities at the same time as reducing energy, waste and becoming more sustainable.”