Coca-Cola HBC Volunteers Mark 60 Years of Coca-Cola in Bulgaria by Planting Trees in Burgas Sea Garden

Through the “My Green City” initiative, a total of 180 trees were planted this autumn across Sofia, Plovdiv, and Burgas

With the planting of 60 trees in the Burgas Sea Garden, the team of Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria and its partners symbolically marked the 60th anniversary of the production of the first Coca-Cola bottle in Bulgaria. Alongside the company’s employees, representatives of long-standing partners of Coca-Cola HBC including the Happy restaurant chain  also took part in the initiative. The volunteer campaign “My Green City” has been held for the 18th consecutive year, and this autumn alone a total of 180 trees were planted in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Burgas.

“I am proud that through our volunteer efforts we have added even more greenery and beauty to Burgas’s Sea Garden. Once again, we have shown that beyond the significant economic impact Coca-Cola has in Bulgaria, for 18 years now our employees and partners have been united by a common cause caring for the environment we live in,”  said Maya Ivanova, Customer & Community Partnership Manager at Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria.

The donated and planted trees are two coniferous species - Atlas and Himalayan cedars, selected for their resilience and their ability to contribute to a healthier and more beautiful urban environment. The choice of species and their size (over two meters tall) were coordinated with the Municipality of Burgas to meet the needs of this emblematic location, cherished by the people of Burgas.

“Planting trees is a symbolic gesture that carries an important message of care for nature and for the city we leave behind. Today’s initiative is a great example that sustainable change begins with joint efforts and a shared vision for the future,”  said Svetlana Taneva, Chief Expert in Construction, Landscaping and Energy Efficiency at the Municipality of Burgas.

The “My Green City” initiative is implemented in line with Coca-Cola HBC’s global ESG commitments. To mark its 18th edition earlier this year, hundreds of Coca-Cola HBC volunteers cleaned and improved Kremikovtsi Park and created new pedestrian walkways along the Perlovska River. As part of previous editions of “My Green City”, the Coca-Cola team in Bulgaria has greened, cleaned, and revitalized numerous areas, forest spaces, and parks across the country. Each year, locations are selected where volunteers’ work can make a meaningful contribution to environmental care, improving ecological conditions and natural resources. In just the last four editions of the initiative (from 2022 to today), volunteers have collected over 11 tons of household and recyclable waste from dozens of polluted sites across Bulgaria, cleaned more than 1,550 decares of contaminated land near water bodies, planted over 300 deciduous and coniferous trees in Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, and Kostinbrod, and supported numerous community-beneficial projects.