Coca-Cola Enterprises launches recycling business

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., the world’s largest marketer, distributor and producer of Coca-Cola products, on September 5 announced the launch of Coca-Cola Recycling LLC. Based out of CCE’s Atlanta headquarters, Coca-Cola Recycling will focus on capturing beverage packaging materials in North America for recycling within the Coca-Cola system.

Earlier that day, The Coca-Cola Company announced plans to build the world’s largest plastic bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C., and revealed its goal to recycle and reuse 100 percent of its plastic packaging in the United States – a goal that Coca-Cola Recycling will play a large part in helping to achieve.

Coca-Cola Recycling is dedicated to recovering and recycling packaging materials used in North America – including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, aluminum, cardboard and plastic film. The company will develop cost-efficient solutions for reclaiming used beverage containers and establish centralized recycling centers throughout North America with a goal of recycling 100 percent of the packaging materials generated by the Coca-Cola system.

“The launch of Coca-Cola Recycling marks an important milestone for CCE and the Coca-Cola system as we energize our efforts to reshape the recycling and sustainable packaging arena,” said John Burgess, president and chief executive officer, Coca-Cola Recycling.

While the primary beverage container materials aluminum and PET have high value as recyclables in the marketplace, not enough material is recovered to meet the increasing demand for them. CCE formed Coca-Cola Recycling to help increase recycling rates in North America and ensure ready access to recycled material.

“Coca-Cola Recycling will perform a key strategic role in achieving our corporate responsibility and sustainability goals,” said John F. Brock, president and chief executive officer, CCE. “It will help CCE find effective solutions for sustainable packaging and recycling while conserving energy and resources, ultimately striving to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Recycling plastic and aluminum for reuse also yields financial benefits, requires less energy than producing bottles with new materials, and reduces waste and greenhouse gases. “Recycling makes perfect business sense,” Burgess said, “and it is the right thing to do.”

“We established Coca-Cola Recycling to provide leadership and resources to help us recycle the beverage packaging we generate in North America,” said Ed Sutter, chairman, Coca-Cola Recycling.

Coca-Cola Enterprises sells approximately 80 percent of The Coca-Cola Company's bottle and can volume in North America and is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco and the Netherlands.