Sustainable packaging: PepsiCo commits to raising recycling rates

PepsiCo this week announced its intent to promote higher rates of beverage container recycling in the U.S., as one of a series of goals and commitments (www.pepsico.com/goalsandcommitments) it published spanning business performance, nutrition, environmental sustainability and the well-being of employees.

Specifically PepsiCo said it intends to create partnerships that promote the increase of U.S. beverage container recycling rates to 50 percent by 2018.

The commitment was developed in cooperation with Boston-based Walden Asset Management, a leader in socially responsible investment, and San Francisco-based As You Sow, a foundation which promotes corporate social responsibility through shareholder engagement.

Walden Asset Management and As You Sow jointly offered the following statement in response to PepsiCo's commitment: "We commend PepsiCo's public support of an industry-wide beverage container recovery goal, its support of an incentive-based recycling service, its commitment to leadership on use of recycled content packaging and its commitment to stakeholder dialogue."

In order to promote higher rates of beverage container recycling, PepsiCo intends to:

  --  Work with other U.S. industry leaders in support of programs and
      policies that effectively increase recycling.
  --  Develop innovative U.S. retail customer and consumer programs that
      support the recycling of beverage containers.
  --  Partner with its U.S. bottlers, communities, suppliers, governmental
      entities and non-governmental organizations in support of innovative
      efforts to encourage increased recycling.
  --  Help educate consumers on the environmental need to and efficiency of
      recycling.
  --  Continue to ensure its primary beverage packaging (aluminum, glass,
      PET) is easily recyclable in U.S. recycling systems
  --  Continue to be the industry leader on the use of recycled content in
      its primary beverage packaging to ensure a market for recycled
      beverage containers

SOURCE: PepsiCo

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