Category: News

The National University of Mongolia (NUM) and MCS Coca-Cola signed a memorandum of understanding to implement multifaceted cooperation. Since its establishment in 2001, MCS Coca-Cola—operating under the slogan “Bringing a Global Brand to Mongolia”—has introduced many new technologies and international standards in line with Coca-Cola’s requirements, made an important contribution to the country’s economy and society, and continued to carry out environmentally friendly operations.

Under this memorandum, the parties will work together in three main areas: supporting NUM in creating an eco-friendly campus environment aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals; implementing training, research, and projects related to environmental social and governance (ESG); and strengthening and developing human resources through capacity-building and professional development.

NUM Rector B. Ochirkhuyag stated: “NUM’s 2025–2030 strategic plan includes goals such as collaborating with government, the private sector, industry, educational and research institutions to create an eco-friendly learning environment based on shared resources; establish a waste-sorting system; strengthen research and innovation capacity; and train top specialists who can compete internationally at a high level. In line with these goals, we believe the initiatives we plan to implement with MCS Coca-Cola will be an important step in promoting the values of sustainable development. Therefore, we are pleased to begin this cooperation.”

L. Myagmarjav, CEO of MCS Coca-Cola LLC, said: “ESG — Environment, Social, and Governance — policy is one of the key criteria that ensures an organization’s long-term sustainability. It is not simply a profit-driven business objective, but a responsibility to society. In Mongolia, plastic consumption and waste are increasing every year, and establishing a proper system for sorting and disposing of waste is one of the important steps toward turning sustainable development goals into real action. For this reason, our aim is to help future professionals and decision-makers develop habits of responsible consumption, learning, and collaboration. This partnership is strategically important in spreading leadership in sustainable development.”

NUM has more than 10 buildings and facilities, including affiliated schools, research institutes, and a library, with 1,600 faculty and staff and 23,000 students. Therefore, within the framework of the memorandum’s objectives, we plan to create joint participation among scientists, researchers, and professional staff to help solve pressing sector issues, co-organize research initiatives, and contribute to jointly using data and bringing it into academic circulation.

In addition, the parties will collaborate to provide students and young people with opportunities to learn from international best practices, become part of these processes, gain workplace experience through internships, and potentially move into full-time employment in the future. By signing this memorandum, and in line with NUM’s five-year strategic goals, the parties are launching efforts to help faculty, staff, and students develop positive everyday habits of sorting waste—moving toward becoming a “model university without plastic waste.”

MCS Coca-Cola Company has commissioned a new state-of-the-art beverage production facility, becoming the first in the region to introduce an aseptic soft drink plant based on dry technology. The newly launched facility significantly reduces water and energy consumption and lowers plastic bottle weight by up to 25 percent, reinforcing the company’s commitment to resource efficiency and environmental sustainability. By integrating advanced technologies into water and beverage production, MCS Coca-Cola is contributing to Mongolia’s sustainable development goals and strengthening the country’s industrial capabilities.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) highly evaluated MCS Coca-Cola’s extensive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives and, in support of the company’s long-term sustainability strategy, provided sustainability-linked financing to the food and beverage sector for the first time last year. The construction of the new plant was carried out within the framework of this financing.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hannes Takacs, EBRD Resident Representative in Mongolia, stated:
“MCS Coca-Cola successfully met the EBRD’s stringent development-focused financing criteria and secured USD 51.6 million in funding. Such financing requires not only strong operational performance, but also a genuine commitment from company leadership to sustainable development. MCS Coca-Cola fully met these requirements.”

MCS Coca-Cola CEO L. Myagmarjav added:
“This advanced facility enables us to locally produce a wide range of beverages sold in more than 200 countries worldwide, while also creating opportunities to substitute imports of tea and juice products. It marks an important step in expanding Mongolia’s domestic beverage production.”

The use of aseptic packaging technology allows for better preservation of the natural taste of tea and fruit juices, enabling MCS Coca-Cola to offer consumers fresher, innovative, and high-quality products.

MCS Group has consistently upheld the principle of being socially and environmentally responsible, setting an example of sustainable development for its employees and partners and encouraging them to adopt and implement these practices. Within this framework, the Group aims to help make responsible consumption a public habit through each employee, and has been implementing initiatives to increase employee participation by sorting waste, collecting recyclables, and promoting recycling and reuse.

This time, MCS Group companies organized the “Recycling Champion” plastic collection competition internally. Through the competition, employees were encouraged to collect plastic waste from their workplaces, homes, and surrounding environments and contribute to delivering it to recycling facilities—ultimately helping build positive habits in society. Initiated by MCS Coca-Cola, the competition was co-organized by Anungoo, Wellbee, and Total Distribution, and plastic was collected over the course of one full month.

Trophy Winner: Metagro LLC
2nd Place: Energy Resources LLC
3rd Place: Top Motors LLC

To introduce advanced waste-management practices and spread responsible attitudes and culture among employees, each MCS Group company installed dedicated recycling bins in their offices for sorting recyclables. As part of this initiative, training sessions were held at each company before the competition began, providing guidance on how to properly sort PET and HDPE plastic waste. This helped employees understand how they could contribute to recycling efforts.

In addition, each company strengthened participation by implementing and increasing regular weekly transport of collected recyclables from offices to recycling facilities. As a result, employee engagement in the “Recycling Champion” competition also increased.

A total of 7,000 employees from 20 MCS Group companies participated actively, creatively, and proactively, collecting 4 tons of plastic within one month. Employees also actively expanded collection efforts at home and in nearby areas. On the final day of the competition, a “Recycling Champion” community event was held for employees and their families, providing information on the plastic recycling process, along with fun competitions and a children’s performance titled “Trash Monster.”

Participants also created creative reels showing how plastic is sorted within their organizations, sharing their experience with others.

The plastic collected by MCS Group employees was supplied as follows:

• PET plastic bottles (water and beverage bottles) were delivered to the TML recycling plant.
• HDPE plastic was supplied to INMO Studio and Khev Khashmal company, which manufacture products using recycled HDPE.

As a result, the 4 tons of plastic collected through the competition can be “reborn” into products such as water and beverage bottles, furniture, and construction formwork.

Trophies and certificates made from recycled plastic

Notably, the 20 participating MCS Group companies competed by collecting plastic across 40 different locations, and four of them collected plastic at their rural branches and sent it to Ulaanbaatar through Total Distribution.

In this way, the organizing companies — MCS Coca-Cola, Anungoo, Wellbee, and Total Distribution — are not only encouraging manufacturers and sellers of fast-moving consumer goods to take responsible action regarding product packaging and to promote collection and return practices together, but also aim to foster environmentally friendly habits. The competition will now be implemented annually as a tradition among MCS Group employees.

“Recycling Academia” has opened in Mongolia with the goal of spreading public knowledge and education on waste recycling and strengthening the capacity of all stakeholders. Through “Recycling Academia,” everyone — including schoolchildren and university students — can learn about the plastic recycling process, and participate in training and awareness activities related to waste management.

This academy was initiated by the “Mongolia Without Waste” NGO and was established in partnership on the first floor of the “TML Plastic” factory, which recycles plastic water and beverage bottles. The NGO works to bring waste and packaging stakeholders under one umbrella and address pressing challenges in protecting natural resources by improving producer responsibility.

Frank Schepers, Executive Director of “Waste-Free Mongolia,” said: “Our goal is to serve as a bridge that brings together key stakeholders such as the government, local administrations, private sector companies, and NGOs, and to foster cooperation. This is because building a recycling value chain in Mongolia is not the job of a single company or only the government — it requires effort and collaboration from all sides.”

Paul Zimmerman, General Manager of the “Drink Without Waste” movement, said: “In Hong Kong, we brought together all stakeholders—water and beverage producers, waste management service providers, civil society and environmental organizations, financial institutions, retailers, government bodies, NGOs, and associations. With support from all parties, we were able to establish a legal and regulatory environment and create a producer and seller responsibility system. We believe this can also be implemented in Mongolia.”

The initiative aims to expand “Waste-Free Mongolia” beyond a single NGO’s work and develop it into a nationwide movement. MCS Coca-Cola and APU JSC have expressed their willingness to participate in and support this partnership.

L. Myagmarjav, CEO of MCS Coca-Cola LLC, stated: “Our company has set a goal to recycle an amount of plastic equal to the number of products we sell by 2030. As of last year, we collected 56% back. Starting this year, certain products will begin using recycled packaging. In this effort to take responsibility for our packaging, we are calling on all our partners and consumers to work with us.”

To establish effective waste management in Mongolia, long-term policy, planning, and implementation are needed, starting from the legal and regulatory environment. Therefore, the initiative is calling on all stakeholders—including national manufacturers and importers, as well as sellers and distributors of their products—to join this movement.

MCS Coca-Cola has published its 2024 Sustainability Report in digital format and shared it with its customers and partners. Highlighting the environmental initiatives featured in the report, the company introduced these efforts to the public at Shangri-La Center during this week’s weekdays.

3R—Reduce, Recycle, Reuse—is the company’s core environmental policy. Under this approach, the company implements actions to reduce consumption, recycle, and reuse across three key areas: water, climate, and packaging.

When presenting its Sustainability Report, MCS Coca-Cola followed this same policy by constructing the exhibition using reusable floors and walls, and by using items such as tables, chairs, and panels made from HDPE bottle caps.

What can you do at the 3R Exhibition?

By visiting the 3R exhibition, you can do the following:

• Personally take part in the PET-1 plastic bottle recycling process, and register as a customer of the TML Plastic factory.

• Receive a gift made from rPET (recycled plastic) by correctly sorting and disposing of your clean, used water and beverage bottles.

• Take home items made from rPET using a 3D printer, such as flower pots, cable holders, and other accessories.

• Learn about the process of purifying wastewater used in factory operations, and register as a customer to receive treated wastewater free of charge.

• Explore an eco-friendly, smokeless industrial steam boiler in a virtual environment.

• Play the Plinko game.

• Create canvas art using plastic pellets.

• View an exhibition of products made from recycled materials.

• Explore the Sustainability Report both digitally and through printed materials designed to be recyclable.

MCS Coca-Cola’s environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and ethical business practices will be showcased on the 1st floor of Shangri-La Center until April 4. The company is not only practicing responsible production itself, but is also engaging its 17,000 customers across Mongolia in these activities.

MCS Coca-Cola has been selected as the first-ever recipient of the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association’s (MSFA) “Best ESG Implementing Organization” award. The MSFA began presenting this award starting this year, and chose MCS Coca-Cola as the inaugural winner in recognition of the company’s work in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability management.

Since being founded in 2001, MCS Coca-Cola has operated in line with The Coca-Cola Company’s global policies and procedures at an international standards level, and has integrated 14 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030 into its operations. To date, the company has invested a total of 39 billion MNT in initiatives such as improving water efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and managing waste responsibly.

Climate

• Since 2021, the company has replaced raw coal use by constructing and commissioning an eco-friendly, smoke-free steam boiler within its factory premises. As a result, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 4,800 tons per year.
• Since 2013, it has introduced environmentally friendly refrigerators that operate using carbon dioxide (CO₂) rather than freon. As a result, 73% of its refrigerators are now eco-friendly, with a target of reaching 100% by 2030.
• Since 2014, the company has switched to battery-charged forklifts, making its forklift operations 100% electric.
• Its distribution trucks operate on Euro-5 fuel, and employee buses use Euro-5 engines. The company is also studying ways to transition distribution vehicles to Euro-5 engines and electric power going forward.

Water

• In 2010, the company commissioned a wastewater treatment facility and treats all water used in its production process. The reuse rate of treated water could reach 100% starting next year, as the company has signed an MOU to supply all treated water to the Amgalan Thermal Power Plant.
• Through a water-efficiency program, the company continues to reduce the amount of water used to produce 1 liter of beverage year by year.

Packaging – Plastic

• The TML plastic recycling factory was established in 2021 at the initiative of MCS Coca-Cola. In 2023, the company collected back an amount of plastic equivalent to 40% of the beverages it sold, returning it to its recycling facility. It has set targets to reach 100% collection and 50% recycling by 2030.
• The company has implemented a plastic bottle lightweighting program since 2014, saving a total of 387 tons of plastic—and therefore conserving natural resources.

Packaging – Glass

• MCS Coca-Cola’s return and reuse rate for glass bottles is 97%. In 2023 alone, this prevented 1,531 tons of glass waste and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4,718 tons.
• In 2022, the company launched a 300 ml glass beverage with a redesigned cap system where the seal and cap are removed together using a rotating cap, helping reduce waste.

The Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association works to encourage Mongolian businesses to adopt environmentally and socially responsible practices and to support sustainable development and green economic growth. This award is intended to recognize member organizations that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs by voluntarily following internationally applied green and inclusive principles, implementing best practices, and helping raise public awareness of successful approaches.