RE: [greenyes] Coke Leads Move to Returnable Glass Bottles in Lat in America

["Reindl, John" <Reindl@no.address>]

Interesting. In some European countries, they also use refillable plastic
bottles...

John 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: lkingeco2@no.address [mailto:lkingeco2@no.address]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 5:46 PM
> To: greenyes@no.address
> Cc: Hood.Timonie@no.address; doordan.kelly@no.address
> Subject: [greenyes] Coke Leads Move to Returnable Glass 
> Bottles in Latin
> America
> 
> 
> GreenYes Colleagues,
> 
>                          Re:  Coke takes step back to the future?
> 
> The Wall Street Journal reports today (October 15) that the 
> Coca-Cola Company 
> is bringing back returnable glass bottles in several Latin 
> American countries 
> for marketing reasons, primarily to make their products more 
> affordable.  
> Pepsi is following suit.
> 
> See "Marketplace" Section, page B2B, story headlined:
> 
> Coke Leads Drive
> To Bring Glass
> Out of Retirement
>                                            ______________________
>        
> Old-Look Bottles Are Used
> In Effort to Aid a Recovery
> In Latin American Sales
>                                            _______________________
> 
> By Miriam Jordan
> 
>                                      "Economic woes in Latin 
> America have
>                                Coca-Cola fixating on glass.
>                                      After virtually retiring 
> glass bottles
>                                from stores in favor of 
> lighter, more con-
>                                venient and more attractive 
> plastic con-
>                                tainers, Coke is leading a 
> reverse trend.
>                                The beverage powerhouse is champion-
>                                ing returnable glass 
> containers as a way
>                                to lower prices and keep consumers buy-
>                                ing its carbonated beverages in these
>                                hard times.
>                                      In late August, Coke 
> launched an ad-
>                                vertising campaign in 
> Venezuela that pro-
>                                claims "What is Good Always 
> Returns."  A
>                                one-liter glass bottle costs 
> consumers one-
>                                third less than a comparable 
> polyethylene
>                                terephthalate, or PET, bottle. 
>  Similar ef-
>                                forts are underway in 
> Argentina and Bra-
>                                zil, which is Coke's 
> third-biggest market
>                                by volume after Mexico and the 
> U.S. ...."
> 
> The fairly lengthy article goes on to explain how the deposit 
> system works, 
> how it helps poor consumers, and why glass in more economical 
> in Latin America 
> than PET.
> 
> What an interesting development.  Perhaps we should be 
> writing The Coca-Cola 
> Company to raise the possibility of helping the poor in the 
> United States by 
> bringing back returnables.
> 
> Of course the economics of glass versus PET are different in 
> the United 
> States.  But just imagine what a boon it would be for local 
> economies, litter 
> reduction, energy and environmental conservation.  And it's a 
> voluntary initiative 
> that could bring an end to the decades-old battle over bottle bills.
> 
> At least we should acknowledge that the move to returnables 
> is a net positive 
> in Latin America.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Lance King
> Chairman
> Community Solutions
> 5615 26th Street N.
> Arlington, VA. 22207
> Tel: 703/536-7282
> Fax: 703/538-5504
>