Coca-Cola Enterprises calls for more sustainability in industry

green | June 26th, 2010 - 10:20 PM

Coca-Cola has revealed its 260 Recycle Zone recycling bins in operation throughout London’s West End are collecting more than four tonnes of recyclable material every day.The soft drinks giant unveiled the figures to coincide with Recycle Week 2010, ahead of launching its 66th UK Recycle Zone in Peterborough city centre today (24 June).

It says that a tonne of material is collected daily on Oxford Street alone, which is the yearly equivalent of around 99 million empty Coke cans and 60% of all the waste collected in the 260 dual access bins – one side for ordinary rubbish and one side for recyclable materials such as paper, plastic bottles and aluminium cans – is recycled rather than going to landfill.

Lauren Branston, communications director of Coca-Cola Great Britain, says: “We’re committed to making a positive impact on the environment and encouraging consumers to see our empty bottles and cans as a valuable resource that if recycled can be used again and again. One of the most effective steps we can take to significantly cut the carbon footprint of our drinks and help reduce littering, is to encourage people to recycle the empty packaging.Baldry said that CCE was already working towards these goals, with an aim to cut its carbon footprint by 15% by 2020.

Initiatives have included making packaging for bottles and cans lighter and using more recyclable content. The company is unveiling a new “plant bottle” made entirely with recycled content in the UK “shortly”, which it says will help Coca-Cola to reduce its carbon footprint.

It has also launched a nationwide recycling scheme in 55 cities, which is also present at major sporting and music events. Its refrigerators and vehicle fleets have also been modified to reduce their impact on the environment.

However, Baldry cautions that consumers need to know more about recycling efforts, and are hindered by confusion at the moment.

“People are confused about recycling because there are different rules by all the different councils across the UK. It’s a major frustration and the biggest barrier to real sustainability ambitions. This could easily be resolved with clear, more consistent guidelines. This is something we are aiming to tackle,” he says.

The brand is also working on a water stewardship plan, to replenish all the water resources they use. CCE’S moves on sustainability were endorsed by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, when he visited its plant during the recent election campaign.

Baldry also called for brands to play a bigger part in the on-trade space – clubs, bars and pubs in particular. He said they “don’t play as big a part as they should” and added “changing that is a huge opportunity that relies on re-educating the on-trade.”

The soft drinks giant lost its on-trade hold in the UK with rivals Pepsi overtaking Coca-Cola as the top-selling brand in the on-trade, according to the Britvic Soft Drinks Report 2010

Marketing Week: Coca-Cola Enterprises calls for more sustainability in industry

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