Coca‑Cola Joins Industry Effort to Reduce Use and Boost Collection of Plastic

Every Bottle Back

The Coca‑Cola Company is teaming up with its two fiercest competitors to tackle America’s plastic waste problem through a multi-faceted industry initiative called “Every Bottle Back.”

Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo will join Coca‑Cola in the American Beverage Association (ABA)-organized coalition, which also includes World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners.

“Our industry recognizes the serious need to reduce new plastic in our environment, and we want to do our part to lead with innovative solutions,” said Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association (ABA). “Our bottles are designed to be remade, and that is why this program is so important… ‘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.”

“Every Bottle Back” includes four core components:

- Reducing the use of new (virgin) plastic in the U.S. Progress will be measured using WWF’s ReSource: Plastic accounting methodology, and data collected will be used to drive actionable solutions.

- Investing $100 million to improve sorting, processing and collection of discarded plastic bottles in four key U.S. regions. The industry-backed fund, which will be administered by the Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners, will attract an additional $300 million in matching grants and investment to increase the amount of recycled plastic available to be remade into beverage bottles.

- Launching a public awareness and community outreach campaign to promote recycling and promote the value of 100% recyclable bottles. According to a poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (POS) on behalf of ABA, nearly half of U.S. consumers are unaware that the country’s leading beverage companies are making 100% recyclable bottles.

- Working together to use packaging to remind consumers that PET bottles are 100% recyclable and can be remade into new bottles. U.S. beverage companies will begin introducing voluntary messaging on packaging labels beginning in late 2020.

“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.”
 

"We’re proud to come together with our competitors to address the serious issue of plastic waste in our environment,” said Jim Dinkins, president, Coca‑Cola North America. “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.”