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SUSTAINABILITY

Beer brand uses its old beer bottles to help save coral reefs

By our News Team | 2022

A brewing company in Central America is collecting its discarded bottles to help regenerate coral reefs damaged by human activity.

Sustainability has become a key issue for marketers and management teams around the world, with the challenge often being to integrate meaningful sustainability strategies into an organisation’s daily business operations.

In the Central American nation of Costa Rica, which has extensive Pacific and Caribbean coastlines, a major beer-brewing brand has launched an innovative campaign that uses its second-hand glass beer bottles to help find a solution to what has been described as a ‘national coral reef emergency’.

Medalla Light beer recently launched its Great Reef Brewer Project that grinds unrecycled bottles into sand and incorporates it into a restorative cement mixture that encourages coral reef regrowth.

Sustainability

Photo by Joakant from Pixabay

The brand’s ad agency, DDB, created the campaign that so far has seen upwards of 30 000 beer bottles ground up. This has already restored around 9,300 square metres of reefs off the country’s coast, with more restoration to follow.

A four thousand percent increase in social media discussion

From a marketing and sustainability perspective, the industry publication Adweek reports that there been a 4,000% increase in social media discussion around the nation’s coral crisis, and a push for better legislation to protect marine ecosystems.

According to Adweek, Medalla Light started the initiative in response to Puerto Rico’s August 2021 declaration of national emergency due to the rapid spread of stony coral tissue loss disease, which depletes the local reefs.

“The coral reefs play a huge role in the global ecosystem as well as the economy of the islands, making this an ecological disaster of unprecedented proportion,” the publication reported.

“Stony coral tissue loss disease comes as a direct result of humanity’s impact on the planet. This truth has urged the brand to acknowledge that its responsibility to consumers extends beyond the sale of its products; its responsibility also includes ensuring safe disposal of its packaging.”

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Dr Kin Kariisa

Group CEO - Next Media

Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

  • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
  • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
  • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
  • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.