» Sustainability

Leading By Example

The Climate Group and American Beverage Association Partnership

America’s non-alcoholic beverage industry and The Climate Group are joining forces in a powerful new partnership to dramatically increase recycling as one way to reduce climate change and protect the environment.

• Under this agreement, the ABA with its Full Circle Plan, becomes a founding member of The Climate Group’s Recycle Together initiative.
• The Climate Group was created in 2004 to bring together business and government to develop solutions to tackle climate change.
• The launch of Recycle Together marks another major US initiative designed to create public-private partnerships that deliver tangible greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
• The coalition of proactive leaders-from government, business, and NGOs- has demonstrated that the emissions reductions needed to stop climate change can be achieved while boosting profitability and competitiveness.
• The Climate Group was founded in 2004 and has offices in the UK, US, China, India and Australia.

Internal Recycling

• On average, over 70% of all solid waste generated by the facilities is recycled.
• Most members have converted to reusable plastic pallets and transport containers.
• Viking Coca-Cola Bottling Co. received the 2005 WasteWise Leader Award for its comprehensive in-plant recycling and energy programs.
• The Pepsi Bottling Group is working with Waste Management to utilize its unsaleable
  liquid product to breakdown materials in the landfills.

Energy & Water Efficiencies

The industry has spent thousands of dollars redesigning our facilities to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions through energy conservation and use of clean energy sources.

• Converted water rinsers to air rinsers, improving water efficiency by six percent in 2006.
• Replaced high-intensity discharge lighting with industrial and high-bay
  fluorescent lighting, reducing lighting energy consumption by 50 percent.
• Installed occupancy and motion sensors to reduce energy consumption when spaces are unoccupied.
• Placed hydraulic motors on timers.
• Replaced air compressors and ammonia compressors with high efficiency compressors.

Water Conservation

As member companies of the American Beverage Association, we have been providing for the hydration needs of consumers for nearly 100 years. Water – the main ingredient in our juices, teas, soft drinks, energy drinks, bottled water, and sports drinks – is critical to our business, yet our manufacturing facilities represent only a small portion of the nation’s overall water use. Throughout Minnesota, we donate bottled water in times of floods, tornadoes, fires, well contamination, construction emergencies, etc. We are committed to conservation, watershed protection and industry accountability and innovation initiatives.

The bottlers and beverage production plants have invested in water efficient monitoring and productivity enhancing programs as well as new technology to reuse and recirculate water, and they have converted to a dry lubricant for conveying equipment. In the U.S., water from production plants is channeled back to municipal sources where it is treated and returned to local water supplies.

The major companies have sustainability plans that establish them corporate leaders.  The link to PepsiCo’s Sustainability Report is:  http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Sustainability/Sustainability-Features.html.

The plan for The Coca-Cola Company can also be found on their website:  www.Coca-cola.com.