Recycling Association of Minnesota Event

May 6, 2011 — Yesterday, the Minnesota Beverage Association had an opportunity to visit with the members of one of our partner organization, the Recycling Association of Minnesota (@recycleMN). MBA President Tim Wilkin, along with MPCA Commissioner Paul Aasen had a great opportunity to talk directly with those most active in making sure Minnesota’s curbside recycling and away from home recycling programs continue to thrive.

The Recycling Association of Minnesota has one of the strongest away from home recycling programs in the country their “Message in a Bottle” program which we have been a proud partner of over the years. You can see one of our “Message in a Bottle” bottles here with MBA President Tim Wilkin as he visits with active members of the recycling community about this important issue. Watch for further development of the “Message in a Bottle Program” throughout the remainder of this year. Please continue to follow MBA on Twitter at @mnbev for updates.

Clear on Calories

Calorie Information at Your Fingertips

Minnesota Beverage Association has partnered with ABA in an innovative “Clear on Calories” nutrition program.

America’s beverage companies are adding new labels to the front of every can, bottle and pack we produce – and displaying the total calories per container on beverages 20 ounces or smaller. This is all part of our Clear on Calories initiative, announced in February 2010 in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” anti-obesity campaign.

Consumers across America are seeing these labels arrive on the front of their favorite beverages, as Clear on Calories arrives in stores. This is yet another way that the beverage industry is helping consumers make informed choices as part of an active, healthy lifestyle.

Praise for Clear on Calories:

“In fact, just today, the nation’s largest beverage companies announced that they’ll be taking steps to provide clearly visible information about calories on the front of their products – as well as on vending machines and soda fountains. This is exactly the kind of vital information parents need to make good choices for their kids.”

-First Lady Michelle Obama, as noted in her speech announcing the launch of “Let’s Move!” (Feb. 9, 2010)

Please visit: http://www.ameribev.org/nutrition–science/clear-on-calories/

Watch the new Ad at: http://vimeo.com/19809816

MBA Announces Tim Wilkin as Its New President

For Immediate Release                    Contact: 651-291-2722
December 13th, 2010

Minnesota Beverage Association Announces
Tim Wilkin as new MBA President

Wilkin to follow the successful tenure of retiring
MBA President Joan Archer.

St. Paul – The Minnesota Beverage Association – producers, marketers and distributors of non-alcoholic beverages – announced today that former State Representative Tim Wilkin will replace Joan Archer, who is retiring as the President of MBA at the end of the year.  Wilkin will continue to grow the association’s successful community investment programs, including state-wide recycling programs, wellness and fitness programs.  Tim will also oversee the MBA’s government and public affairs operations. Tim also brings the grassroots, coalition building, public relations and social networking support and expertise of WeberJohnson Public Affairs.

“We are very excited to announce today that Tim Wilkin will be the new President of the Minnesota Beverage Association,” said Tim Haubrich, chairman of the association’s board of directors.  “Tim Wilkin is a staunch advocate of the kind of job creation and community investment for which our members are well known.  Tim has strong, bi-partisan government affairs credentials and he brings with him a public affairs team that will help our association continue to play a key role in our member’s communities and throughout Minnesota,” concluded Haubrich.

“I am thrilled to be able to continue the strong work of my predecessor, Joan Archer, as an advocate for an industry known for its investment in the community and its progressive recycling programs,” said incoming MBA President Tim Wilkin.  “We will continue to have a forward looking presence in communities throughout Minnesota and at the capitol to help ensure a legislative environment conducive to continued job growth and community investment by our members.”

In the spirit of community investment, and in honor of the successful tenure of Joan Archer, the Minnesota Beverage Association has contributed $5,000 to the Minnesota Women’s Golf Association’s scholarship program in Joan’s honor.  Improving and developing the environment for women’s golf has been one of Joan’s longtime passions.

The Minnesota Beverage Association’s members are producers, marketers and distributors of almost every non-alcoholic beverage you can image. For over 100 years, the Association has been committed to promoting the best of the beverage industry through information dissemination, recycling programs, public awareness campaigns, fitness and wellness programs, and providing timely updates on industry activities. There are 67 manufacturing sites as well as 48 beverage wholesale facilities throughout Minnesota, providing direct employment for more than 22,000 jobs, contributing more than $342 million in state taxes and donating at least $21 million to charitable causes across the state.

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Made in Minnesota

The Beverage Industry is a Major Contributor to Minnesota’s Economy

Our non-alcoholic drinks are Made in Minnesota products.

There are 67 manufacturing sites as well as 48 beverage wholesale facilities throughout Minnesota providing direct employment for more than 22,000 jobs, contributing more than $342 million in state taxes and donating at least $21 million to charitable causes across the state.

Over 90% of our member’s beverages sold in Minnesota are assembled and bottled right here in Minnesota by Minnesota workers, in Minnesota bottling facilities, and then distributed by Minnesota drivers to Minnesota stores.

Beverages in Schools Update

The efforts of our members have successfully taken the calories out of beverages in schools.  The national school beverage guidelines were created in May 2006 through collaboration with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation- a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, along with America’s leading beverage companies.  The industry is committed to assisting in the fight against obesity and has completed the implementation of this policy.  See the School Beverage Guideline Status Report to see the status through 2009.

We are doing our part to teach Minnesota kids the importance of a balanced diet and exercise. The voluntary industry initiative worked.  With the help of schools, parents, and students, we removed full-calorie soft drinks and ensured that the remaining beverages in schools are low/no calorie, smaller portioned and age-appropriate.

Bulletin #11: Winter 2010

Bulletin 11: Winter 2010

This bulletin updates the Association’s member’s implementation of the national vending policies and highlights the efforts to reduce our environmental footprint through various programs including many recycling initiatives. Click on the Bulletins tab above to see Bulletin 11 and previous bulletins.

Let’s Move – Clear on Calories

First Lady Michelle Obama’s ” Let’s Move”

First lady Michelle Obama today is announcing a national campaign to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity through what her office calls “a comprehensive approach that builds on effective strategies, engages families and communities, and mobilizes both public and private sector resources.”

“The ‘Let’s Move’ campaign will focus on reaching a national goal of solving the childhood obesity challenge within a generation so that children born today will reach adulthood at a healthy weight,” the first lady’s office said.

Answering First Lady Michelle Obama’s call for innovative industry
initiatives that contribute to her healthy families program, America’s non-alcoholic beverage
companies are coming together to make the calories in their products even more clear and
consumer-friendly by putting the information on the front of all their packages, vending
machines and fountain machines.

The voluntary commitment contributes to Mrs. Obama’s efforts to help families make informed
choices as part of a balanced lifestyle. The companies will coordinate with the Food and Drug
Administration to implement the calorie initiative, which will go above and beyond what is
required by the federal agency’s food labeling regulations. The industry will start implementing
the initiative across the country this year with completion in 2012.  For more information on this program- Clear on Calories- on the Clear on Calories page.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, is committed to fighting childhood obesity by facilitating change in the environments that contribute to the quality of nutrition and access to physical activity for our nation’s youth.

In conjunction with its Healthy Schools Program, the Alliance in 2006 met with representatives from beverage companies PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Cadbury Schweppes as well as representatives from the American Beverage Association to develop a set of voluntary guidelines related to the sale of beverages in our nation’s schools. The guidelines will also serve as the beverage standard for the Healthy Schools Program recognition criteria. The standards encourage the availability of nutritious and lower calorie beverages and will both reduce the calories and limit portion sizes for caloric drinks available to students in schools.

Click on Model School Guidelines page to the right for complete guidelines.

There is no one solution to solve the issue of childhood obesity, but the core of the problem lies with the fact that young people consume more calories than they burn. These guidelines are just one part of an overall strategy to decrease calories consumed while increasing calories burned. Along with the Alliance’s other strategies – improving snack foods and meals available to students and increasing physical activity and physical education – these guidelines could make a significant contribution to reducing childhood obesity.