The Quality Beverages Ltd (QBL) inaugurated, this morning, its new modern glass bottling line during a ceremony held in presence of the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano, in Belle-Rose. Minister Ramano effected a site visit at the glass bottling line to take stock of the operations of the new line.
Operational since mid-November, the new bottling line, to the tune of Rs 220 million, will help QBL to significantly improve the efficiency of its operations, the productivity of the workforce, and the achievement of targets of sustainable development.
In his address, Minister Ramano lauded the initiative of QBL for its massive investment in this modern glass bottling line which will contribute in reducing the utilisation of PET plastic bottles. Through this initiative, QBL is joining Government’s endeavour to make the transition to a green and circular economy and is aligned with Government’s vision of a plastic-free, greener and cleaner Mauritius.
He also expressed satisfaction as regards the conceptualisation of the operations building, which adheres to principles of energy saving and efficiency along with the utilisation of paper labels.
The Environment Minister dwelt on the significant amount of plastic pollution around the globe, and indicated that some 13 million tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean each year, out of which more than 80% is caused by human activities on land.
He recalled that Government has promulgated key regulations, including the ban on single use plastic, to drastically reduce plastic pollution in the country. On that score, he rejoiced at the positive impacts of the regulations, and pointed out that the population has adapted and adopted eco-friendly alternatives.
Moreover, the Minister announced that in a bid to further accelerate the transformational shift towards a circular economy, the Government ambitions to develop an appropriate legislation for the management of post-consumer PET bottles / containers jointly with all stakeholders. The proposed legislation, he added, will include the establishment of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for the management of post-consumer PET beverage bottles, and the objective is to collect 80% of PET bottles. On that score, he stated that Government will assure that alternative products at affordable prices are available on the market.
In his concluding remarks, Minister Ramano underscored the need to adopt an integrated approach to fight against plastic pollution and called upon the collective efforts of everyone.
As for the Managing Director of QBL, Mr Azim Currimjee, he pointed out that the initiative forms part of QBL’s strategy to make its operations cleaner and greener while improving efficiency and productivity at all levels of its value chain. As a responsible company, it is our duty to protect our environment and our planet for future generations while securing the future of our children, he said.
He spoke of the existing partnership and constant dialogue between the public and the private sector, which is necessary in this transition towards a green and circular economy.
Furthermore, he underlined that the company has always strived to create value not only for its shareholders but also for communities and spoke of the efforts made to reduce waste, promote recycling, and support projects in line with the protection of the environment.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of QBL, Mr Inigo De Prado, highlighted that QBL’s endeavour testifies to the company’s evolution in the beverage sector as well as its commitment to preserving the environment and the planet for future generations.
Speaking about the new building, he stated that it has been designed to preserve an ambient temperature and thus help reduce electricity consumption by more than 15% as well as emission of greenhouse gases.