The Coca-Cola Foundation has announced a $10 million grant to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to mitigate plastic waste and transform plastic value chains across seven African islands through the IslandPlas project.

The foundation’s largest grant ever will support IUCN’s efforts to implement circular solutions to mitigate plastic waste leakage and foster the islands’ transition toward a waste-free environment. The three-year project aims to enhance the livelihoods of as many as 9,600 individuals in the informal waste sector, reduce plastic waste through the collection of roughly 14,000 tons and recycling of approximately 5,600 tons, and to spur economic growth by leveraging $2 million in capital investments toward innovation and enterprise development in the sector.

“IslandPlas is a groundbreaking initiative that takes a comprehensive, community-centric approach to tackling the plastic pollution crisis on islands,” said IUCN regional director for eastern and southern Africa Luther Bois Anukur. “By focusing on collection, recycling, empowering waste workers, and promoting alternative business models, we are offering a replicable model for collaborative action that will protect our oceans and empower local island communities.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/ArtMarie)