USA – Leading soft beverage companies, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper have teamed up under a new plastic recycling initiative dubbed ‘Every Bottle Back’ that seeks to reduce plastic waste pollution.
Spearheaded by the American Beverage Association (ABA), the firms will aim to improve the quality and availability of recycled plastic in key regions of the USA by directing the equivalent of US$400m to The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners.
As part of the initiative, a US$100 million fund will be used to improve sorting, processing and collection in US areas with the biggest infrastructure gaps.
The fund will be administered by the Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners, a firm that invests in recycling systems, and will attract an additional US$300 million in matching grants and investments.
The companies have already committed to significantly increase the percentage of their bottles that are made out of recycled materials.
Coca-Cola has pledged that half its bottles will be made from recycled materials by 2030 while PepsiCo aims to ensure 33% of its beverage bottles are be made from recycled material by 2025. Keurig Dr Pepper wants them in 30% of its packaging by 2025.
Through the new partnership, the companies seek to support support the circular plastics economy by ensuring that all their plastic bottles are being recycled.
A public awareness campaign will be launched to help consumers understand the value of recyclable bottles through and
The companies plan to introduce voluntary messaging on packages as of next year to remind consumers that the bottles are 100% recyclable as well as launch a public awareness campaign to help consumers understand the value of recyclable bottles.
The ABA plans to use WWF accounting methodology to measure industry progress in reducing the use of new plastic.
Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of ABA said; “Our industry recognises the serious need to reduce new plastic in our environment, and we want to do our part to lead with innovative solutions.
“Our bottles are designed to be remade, and that is why this programme is so important. We are excited to partner with the leading environmental and recycling organisations to build a circular system for the production, use, recovery and remaking of our bottles.
“Every Bottle Back will ensure that our plastic bottles are recovered after use and remade into new bottles, so we can reduce the amount of new plastic used to bring our beverages to market.
“This is an important step for our industry, and it builds on our ongoing commitment to protecting the environment for generations to come.”
Jim Dinkins, president, Coca-Cola North America, added: “We’re proud to come together with our competitors to address the serious issue of plastic waste in our environment.
“We know we cannot do this alone and, in order to meet our goals and those of our industry, we need to work in partnership to drive collective action to ensure our bottles have second, third and fourth lives through continued recycling and re-use.”
