PepsiCo in Lebanon

PepsiCo has been a leader in the food and beverage industry in the Middle East for over 70 years, serving the region with its iconic snacks and beverages. In Lebanon, PepsiCo has been present since 1952 through Société Moderne Libanaise Pour Le Commerce (SMLC), its first franchisee in the Levant.

Over the decades, the company and its partners have expanded its product offerings in Lebanon, to include popular snacks such as Lay’s and Doritos, in addition to beverages including Mr. Juicy, H2OH!, Tropicana, Lipton Ice Tea, Gatorade, AMP, and Aquafina.

PepsiCo's contributions go beyond its products, as it supports the local economy and collaborates with NGOs to improve food security, health, and education.

Guided by its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) strategy, PepsiCo in Lebanon focuses on water replenishment, collection and recycling commitments, investing in recycling infrastructure and partnerships to accelerate recycling efforts, and incentivizing consumers to adopt more sustainable lifestyles.

Community Support

Relief Efforts:

PepsiCo has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the people of Lebanon by partnering with local organizations actively engaged in daily relief efforts. To enhance these efforts, we have provided funding to the Lebanese Red Cross, the Lebanese Food Bank, and other international humanitarian organizations. This financial support has been helpful in sustaining essential services, supporting vulnerable communities to have access to vital resources and care.

As part of our broader relief initiatives, we have also collaborated with LWM and Recyco to support waste management challenges in shelters and centers hosting displaced individuals. Each partner focused on specific geographical areas to avoid overlap, installing waste bins at shelters and adhering to defined collection schedules. These efforts were accompanied by educational initiatives, including awareness sessions and activities, to emphasize the importance of hydration, recycling, and waste management – particularly for children in these centers.

In 2024 alone, our dedicated collection programs successfully recovered over 1,000 tons of recyclables, including 200 tons of PET materials. These achievements have expanded the reach of our collection partners across Lebanon and fostered greater environmental awareness within communities.

Education

Tomooh Scholarship Program:

For nearly two decades, PepsiCo has empowered disadvantaged Lebanese youth to pursue higher education through its Tomooh Scholarship Program, in partnership with the local NGO Ajialouna. Since its launch in 2006 by the late Saad Abdul-Latif, former CEO for Asia, Middle East, and Africa, the program has supported over 4,000 students nationwide. Offering partial scholarships to students of all backgrounds — regardless of nationality, gender, race, or needs— Tomooh is committed to promoting social development through education. A special allocation of funds is set aside for students with disabilities and those battling or recovering from cancer.

Sponsorships for a Purpose:

For the second consecutive year in 2024, we partnered with My School Pulse to ensure that 30 children undergoing hospital treatment could continue their education for a full year.

Wellness

PepsiCo proudly supports the Children Cancer Center in Lebanon (CCCL) by sponsoring various activities, including the “Path of Joy,” a graduation ceremony celebrating cancer survivors, and wellness sessions at the center.

To address critical psychosocial and accessibility needs for pain and stress relief, PepsiCo has helped fund a comprehensive program that enhances psychosocial support for childhood cancer patients. This initiative includes the use of VR headsets for immersive experiences, as well as providing psychiatric and nutritional consultations, along with palliative care support.

Healthcare

PepsiCo has consistently stepped up to support the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) in responding to the needs of the most vulnerable. Through contributions from PepsiCo, the PepsiCo Foundation, and SMLC, PepsiCo’s bottler in Lebanon, the company has played a crucial role in aiding the LRC’s COVID-19 response efforts and providing financial assistance to families affected by the Beirut Port explosion.

In March 2022, PepsiCo and the LRC launched a two-year strategic partnership to strengthen humanitarian services, particularly Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Blood Transfusion Services (BTS), ensuring that the most vulnerable populations have access to critical healthcare.

PepsiCo Positive (pep+)

Additionally, the plant operates under a net water positive initiative. It collects water from melted snow and rainfall, which is used to replenish ponds in the Reserve. In 2024, we added 3 new artificial ponds, bringing the total to 7 ponds with a combined capacity of 2,600 m³. To date, these efforts have contributed to a 34% replenishment rate. The collected water serves multiple purposes, benefiting local communities, agriculture, and the surrounding ecosystem.

Collection and Recycling Initiatives

PepsiCo remains committed to sustainability and advancing the circular economy for plastic packaging through its PEP+ agenda. By prioritizing partnerships and educational programs, the company has focused on reducing virgin plastic use by 50%, expanding PET collection, and fostering sustainable behavior change since 2021. Below is an overview of key initiatives:

Nadeera - Yalla Return

Nadeera's "Yalla Return" is a trash-for-cash initiative encouraging waste sorting at the source. Residents collect PET plastic, deposit it at designated facilities, and earn credits redeemable for supermarket vouchers, cash, or charitable donations.

PepsiCo in Lebanon expanded Yalla Return's operations in 2023, adding stand-alone outlets, retailer kiosks and smart bins in key locations across Beirut. Currently, Yalla Return operates in 9 locations across Lebanon.

Live Love Recycle (LLR)

Live Love Recycle supports Lebanon's waste management efforts through convenient recycling solutions. Residents can request pickups via the LLR app or drop recyclables at designated "Drop Zones."

PepsiCo funded 5 additional collection hubs, enabling geographic expansion beyond Beirut and supported increased PET plastic collection and awareness campaigns promoting recycling habits.

Lebanon Waste Management (LWM)

LWM simplifies waste management and promotes awareness through innovative solutions.

In 2023, PepsiCo supported LWM’s mobile collection facility, a bus that collects waste in rural areas, municipalities, universities, and events. We also sponsored the "One Million Bottle Challenge," collecting 500,000 PET bottles from PepsiCo products and 500,000 glass bottles from partners. In 2024, PepsiCo and partners deployed 3 tuk-tuks in Jbeil for door-to-door waste collection, commercial pickups, and awareness campaigns.

Recyco

Recyco, in partnership with SMLC, launched the Reverse Vending Machine (RVM) initiative in 2021.

PepsiCo helped activated RVMs, strategically placing them in retailers. We also integrated educational campaigns and on-ground activations to raise awareness and launched Gatorade-branded recycling programs targeting sports communities (e.g., padel courts, basketball academies) and introduced "Bin to Win" competitions in schools to encourage recycling habits.