Coca-Cola Drought

Ethiopia’s dwindling supply of “the pause that refreshes.”

“Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa has run out of Coca-Cola as the credit crunch takes the fizz out of the economy,” the BBC reported:

The East Africa Bottling Share Company, which produces the soft drink in the region, last week temporarily shut its bottling operation in Ethiopia. It said they had the Coca-Cola — but did not have the bottle tops.

According to The Associated Press:

Ethiopia’s shortage of foreign currency means the local bottling company cannot import crown cork, the squishy white material found inside bottlecaps. The cork seals the bottle, maintaining the drink’s carbonation.

The A.P. said that this was the first time Coca-Cola had halted production since beginning operations in Ethiopia in 1959, and the BBC noted:

Street children have reportedly been collecting the much-needed bottle tops from the streets of Addis Ababa and selling them back to companies to recycle for around $0.2 (£0.13) a kilogram.