News Release
COCA-COLA EXPANDS U.S. RECYCLING OR REUSE GOALS
Sets Target to Recycle or Reuse 100 Percent of its Aluminum Cans And
PET Bottles in U.S.
Company Receives Recycling Works Award from National Recycling Coalition
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 13, 2008 -
The Coca-Cola Company today announced a long term target to recycle
or reuse 100 percent of the aluminum beverage cans it sells in the
U.S. This new objective builds on the Company's previously announced
goal to recycle or reuse 100 percent of its PET plastic bottles.
"We have made a commitment to ensure the sustainability -- and
recyclability -- of our packaging," said Sandy Douglas, president,
Coca-Cola North America. "We envision a world in which our packaging
is no longer seen as waste, but as a valuable resource for future
use."
Aluminum beverage cans are among the most recycled consumer products
in the U.S -- one out of every two aluminum cans is recycled today.
Recycling aluminum is highly efficient and requires 95 percent less
energy than creating aluminum from raw materials. It also reduces
carbon emissions by 95 percent. Coca-Cola currently uses an average
60 percent recycled aluminum in its beverage cans.
Support for Recycling
Coca-Cola also has continued to invest in recycling programs
and infrastructure. In 2007, the Company invested $60 million in a
series of recycling initiatives, including support of RecycleBank's
curbside collection program and the construction of the world's largest
PET bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C.
In 2007, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), the world's largest
Coca-Cola bottler, formed Coca-Cola Recycling
LLC (CCR) with a mission to recover and recycle the packaging materials
developed and used by the Coca-Cola system. CCR plays
a key role in the Company's aspiration to recycle and reuse 100 percent
of its packaging. While the primary beverage container materials --
aluminum and PET -- have high value as recyclables, not enough are
recovered to meet the increasing demand.
"We established Coca-Cola Recycling to help increase recycling
rates in North America and to ensure that our system has ready access
to recycled material," said John Burgess, president and chief
operating officer, Coca-Cola Recycling. "By the end of 2008,
Coca-Cola Recycling will recycle more than 100 million pounds each
of PET and aluminum."
CCR has established centralized recycling centers at CCE's major
production facilities across the country. It also has created innovative
collection programs at colleges and universities, office buildings
and retail centers, as well as major sporting events, music festivals
and other large scale events to drive recycling behavior among consumers.
Today's announcement follows the Company's receipt of the National
Recycling Coalition's "Recycling Works" award. The award
presentation was made in Washington, D.C. at the NRC's annual reception
February 12. The award recognized the Company for its goal to recycle
or reuse its PET plastic bottles and aluminum cans; for its commitment
to sustainable packaging; and for its investment in recycling infrastructure.
Coca-Cola has been working to enhance the sustainability of its
packaging for several decades. The Company commissioned the first
study to examine the environmental impact of a package in 1969 and
introduced the first food grade plastic bottle made with recycled
material in 1991. Since then, Coca-Cola has continued to improve the
resource efficiency of its beverage packages through light weighting
efforts and raw material reductions. For example, aluminum cans have
been reduced by 33 percent, glass bottles by 57 percent and plastic
bottles by 32 percent since their introduction. Light weighting and
bottle closure design efforts across all Coca-Cola products in PET
packages will save 100 million pounds of plastic this year in the
U.S.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage
company. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the
world's most valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's
top five nonalcoholic sparkling brands, including Diet Coke®,
Fanta® and Sprite®, and a wide range of other beverages, including
diet and light beverages, waters, juices and juice drinks, teas, coffees,
energy and sports drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution
system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages
at a rate of 1.5 billion servings each day. For more information about
The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
About Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE) is the world's largest marketer,
distributor and producer of bottled and can liquid non alcoholic refreshment.
Coca-Cola Enterprises sells approximately 80 percent of The Coca-Cola
Company's bottle and can volume in North America and is the sole licensed
bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental
France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco and the Netherlands.
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