[GreenYes] Coke & Recycled Content

["Peter Anderson" <anderson@recycleworlds.org>]

    You may remember that Coke previously made a quasi-commitment to use 10% content in 25% of their bottles, or 2-1/2% overall, which was a good start for which they deserve credit. This article may be a trial ballon to extend that quasi-commitment of 10% content to 100% of their bottles. That would have a very major impact. I would have to expect that Coke is wondering, at this point, why  all the attention continues to be focused on them when Pepsi has so far not publicly made any statement of intent to move forward. In this they would seem to have a definite point.

                                                            Peter

PLASTICS NEWS - March 27, 2001
Coke may beef up recycled content
          By Steve Toloken
          PLASTICS NEWS STAFF
           
          ATLANTA (March 27, 3:35 p.m. EST) -- Coca-Cola Co. is
          considering using 10 percent recycled content in all of its PET
          bottles in the United States -- four times what it uses now -- and
          supporting a much higher PET container recycling rate by 2005,
          according to several sources.

          Coke officials would not comment, but details were confirmed by
          several sources familiar with talks the soft drink giant is having with
          shareholder and environmental interest groups. Sources say Coke
          plans to tell its bottlers that it is considering the new initiatives,
          including measures to raise the PET recycling rate to at least 55
          percent, or possibly 60 percent.

          That signals a significant new policy for the world´s largest soft drink
          maker, and could lead competitors to follow. Atlanta-based Coke
          has been under pressure from some shareholders and a coalition
          known as Businesses and Environmentalists Allied for Recycling.

          Coke has said it now is using 10 percent recycled content in one of
          every four PET bottles -- or 2.5 percent recycled content across the
          board. Coke officials in the past few weeks have said they want to
          use more recycled content, but would not provide specifics.

          The new goal -- 10 percent in all bottles -- still would fall well short of
          tougher targets set by the Coke shareholders and BEAR, a coalition
          that includes a large carpet manufacturer, environmental groups and
          a foundation affiliated with Ted Turner.

          The shareholders -- a group of so-called socially responsible
          investment firms -- want Coke to support a goal of recycling 80
          percent of its beverage containers by 2005 and of using 25 percent
          recycled content in its PET bottles in the United States, as it does in
          some other countries.

          The shareholders have put a resolution on the ballot at Coke´s
          annual meeting in April, and are beginning a letter-mailing
          campaign to thousands of shareholders representing an estimated
          70 percent of Coke stock.

          Some sources noted that Coke backed away from a pledge in the
          early 1990s to use 25 percent recycled PET in bottles. But other
          sources said Coke´s new policy would be viewed as a positive, if
          not final, step.

          Several sources said Coke already had indicated it would use 5
          percent recycled PET in bottles by the end of this year, and they
          questioned the significance of getting to 10 percent in four years.

          Some sources said they want to hear more details from Coke on
          how it would implement the goals, particularly how it would boost the
          recycling rate to 55 percent or 60 percent if it maintains its historical
          opposition to bottle bills.

          The PET recycling rate dropped to 23.7 percent in 1999, down from
          33.7 percent in 1994, according to PET industry statistics. The
          recycling rate for PET soft drink containers has dropped from 50
          percent in 1994 to 35.7 percent in 1999.

    Plastics News contains a lot of useful information on plastics recycling and endorses bottles bills. To get your own subscription, at $69/year, call 800-678-9595.

                                                                        peter
_____________________________________________
Peter Anderson
RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING
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email: anderson@recycleworlds.org
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