Coke And Pepsi Waste Targeted By Environmental Groups: Shareholders Campaign Launched To Increase Recycling
NEWS RELEASE
March 30, 2001
Contact: Lance King (703) 536-7282 or (706) 613-7121
Coke And Pepsi Waste Targeted By Environmental Groups: Shareholders Campaign Launched To Increase Recycling
WASHINGTON, DC (March 30, 2001) - Every day, more than 93 million empty Coke and Pepsi soft drink bottles are cans are thrown away rather than recycled in the United States. Environmental groups announced today that they are launching a campaign in support of shareholder resolutions pressing the beverage industry giants to take responsibility for their waste by increasing recycling.
"Coke and Pepsi shareholders are calling on company management to take responsibility for billions of bottles and cans wasted rather than recycled every year. Our campaign is intended to focus attention on recycling proposals being voted upon at annual shareholder meetings," Bill Sheehan, network coordinator for the GrassRoots Recycling Network, said in announcing the campaign.
The GrassRoots Recycling Network (Athens, Georgia), Container Recycling Institute (Arlington, Virginia) and Waste Not Georgia (Atlanta, Georgia) are leading the campaign, which will include paid advertising, organizing events, outreach and presentations at the shareholder meetings.
The Coca-Cola Company annual shareholder meeting is April 18, 2001 in Delaware. PepsiCo Inc. holds its shareholder meeting on May 2, 2001, in Dallas, Texas.
Shareholder resolutions were submitted to Coke and PepsiCo in November 2000. As You Sow Foundation (San Francisco), Walden Asset Management (Boston), Domini Social Investment (New York), Trillium Asset Management (Boston), and Atlanta shareholder Lewis Regenstein filed the resolution with Coke. Walden and Domini filed the resolution with PepsiCo.
The resolutions call upon management to establish recycling targets and prepare a plan to achieve them by January 1, 2005. There are two goals: (1) achieving an 80 percent national recycling rate for bottles and cans; and (2) making plastic bottles with an average of 25 percent recycled plastic.
Coke and Pepsi are the soft drink industry leaders. Coke had 44 percent market share and Pepsi had 31 percent market share in the United States in 1999, according to Beverage Marketing Corporation.
"Beverage container waste increased by more than 50 percent between 1992 and 1999. Increasing use of plastic bottles combined with the rise of new beverages not covered by deposits are key factors in falling recycling rates," said Pat Franklin, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute.
Shareholder groups introduced the resolutions when talks with corporate management showed no sign of coming to grips with the rapidly growing beverage container waste problem. While Coca-Cola management opposes the recycling proposal, Proxy Proposal 5, the company is continuing private discussions with the investment funds and various interested parties. PepsiCo management opposes the recycling resolution, Item 6 on the shareholder meeting agenda, and sought unsuccessfully to block it through proceedings before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
"The investors' goals are realistic because they are being achieved now in some U.S. states and in other countries," said Lance King, a campaign spokesman and consultant to the environmental groups. "Coca-Cola is using 25 percent recycled plastic in bottles in Australia and several other countries. And the ten U.S. states that require refundable container deposits currently have an 80 percent recycling rate. In fact, those 10 states recycle the largest portion of the beverage containers in the United States."
"Most people are shocked to learn about the massive increase in beverage container waste, which is often first seen in the form of litter on streets, beaches, park and farm lands. But the biggest environmental impacts are the energy needed to make aluminum and plastic from virgin resources, pollution from extracting and refining oil and mineral resources, and disposal of wasted containers in landfills and incinerators," Franklin said.
Environmental groups, led by the GrassRoots Recycling Network, have waged a four-year campaign targeting Coke's plastic bottle waste. More than 200 environmental organizations, recycling leaders and businesses, student groups and public officials support the Coke-Take It Back! Campaign launched by GRRN in April 1997.
"Shareholder groups contacted us after a series of paid advertisements in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other publications in 1999," Sheehan said.
State and local concern about the growing beverage container waste problem is prompting new alliances to combat the problem.
"We waste more than 70% of our beverage containers, over 3.75 billion, in Georgia each year alone. These are resources needed by Georgia industries, but are lost at expense to taxpayers, our communities, and our environment. By supporting the recycling resolutions we are sending messages to Coke and Pepsi to do the real thing when it comes to the recycling and reuse, "said Bob Woodall, executive director of the Atlanta-based Waste Not Georgia. Woodall said his group was formed by leaders from 37 organizations that came together to address this problem.
"The consumers and shareholders I talk to understand that beverage companies like Coke and Pepsi need to exercise environmental leadership in selling products," Woodall said.
For more information on the shareholder campaign, visit the Internet at: www.grrn.orgCoke Shareholders And Environmental Groups Urge Support For Recycling In Wall Street Journal Advertisement
NEWS RELEASE
April 2, 2001
Contact: Lance King (703) 536-7282 or (706) 613-7121
Coke Shareholders And Environmental Groups Urge Support For Recycling In Wall Street Journal Advertisement
Every minute 37 thousand empty Coca-Cola soft drink bottles and cans are thrown away as waste, rather than recycled, in the United States.
ATLANTA, GA (April 2, 2001) - A Georgia environmental group and long-time Coca-Cola investors appealed to Coke shareholders to vote for a recycling resolution by placing an advertisement in today's Wall Street Journal (South Atlantic Region). The GrassRoots Recycling Network, a national nonprofit environmental organization is based in Athens, Georgia, placed the ad.
"We want Coke shareholders to be aware of the rapid increase in Coke bottle and can waste -- and the liability that represents to the company's image -- before voting on the recycling resolution. In just one day, more than 54 million empty Coke beverage containers become litter or get sent to landfills and incinerators," said Bill Sheehan, national network coordinator of the GrassRoots Recycling Network.
The advertisement headline is "A Moment of Refreshment, An Eternity of Waste?"
A group of institutional and individual investors are calling, in Proxy Proposal 5, for Coca-Cola to adopt a recycling strategy to reverse rapidly increasing beverage container waste. Coke's management, which is holding its annual meeting in Delaware on April 18, opposes the resolution.
"As a proud Coke stockholder for many years, I think it is important that Coke be the industry leader in promoting recycling. This would provide huge benefits to our society, our environment, and our company. If we lead, many companies will follow. Let's show the world that recycling works, it's the real thing," said Atlanta native Lewis Regenstein. Mr. Regenstein co-sponsored the Coke recycling resolution.
"Most people are shocked to learn that waste from beverage containers increased more than 50 percent from 1992 to 1999 in the United States," said Pat Franklin, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute. Based in Arlington, Virginia, CRI studies trends in beverage packaging and advocates policies to eliminate waste through recycling and reuse.
"Beverage container recycling rates are dropping in the United States in large part because of the switch to plastic bottles. These single-serving beverages are frequently consumed away from home and away from convenient recycling locations," Franklin said.
Coca-Cola shareholder William C. Wardlaw, III, of Atlanta, co-signed the letter to fellow shareholders printed in the Wall Street Journal ad. Appealing for support, the opening paragraph of the letter says:
"Our company is the soft drink industry leader. We propose to make Coke the recycling leader as well!"
Proxy Proposal 5 was submitted to Coca-Cola management by a group of institutional and individual investors, including: As You Sow Foundation (San Francisco), Walden Asset Management (Boston), Domini Social Investment (New York), Trillium Asset Management (Boston), and Atlanta shareholder Lewis Regenstein. The resolution calls on The Coca-Cola Board of Directors to come up with a plan to reach two recycling goals by January 1, 2005:
� Achieve an 80 percent national recycling rate for bottles and cans; and,
� Make plastic bottles with an average of 25 percent recycling plastic.
"The GrassRoots Recycling Network launched the Coke campaign in Atlanta 4 years ago this week in Atlanta, because of growing concern about the plastic bottle waste problem. It's a matter of corporate responsibility. Coke shareholders supporting the recycling proposal believe that protecting the environment and making a profit go hand in hand," said Lance King, a spokesman for the environmental groups supporting Proxy Proposal 5.
One of the institutional investment funds sponsoring the recycling resolution is sending a letter to thousands of shareholders who own an estimated 70 percent of Coke stock.
"We are encouraged that senior management at The Cola-Cola Company is reportedly considering ways to address the shareholder's environmental concerns. To date, Coke has not developed a plan with specific means to reverse the decline in recycling rates or use a significant amount of recycled plastic to make new bottles," King said.
"In Georgia, more than 80 percent of plastic Coke bottles wind up as litter or in our landfills. It's a shame, because Georgia's largest industry, the carpet industry, could use those bottles to make polyester carpet and create new jobs," said Bob Woodall, executive director of Atlanta-based Waste Not Georgia.
"Coke needs to take responsibility, by setting recycling goals and creating financial incentives designed to increase recycling. The shareholder resolution focuses on realistic goals, recycling rates achieved in 10 states across America and in other nations," Woodall said.
The Wall Street Journal ad, background materials for reporters, and information for shareholders who want to vote for Proxy Proposal 5 are posted on GRRN's Web site at www.grrn.org/media
Congress Failed To Recycle 63 Million Cans And Bottles Since 1995, Valued At Nearly $1 Million
For release: October 2, 2000
Contact:
Pat Franklin (703) 276-9800, Lance King (703) 241-4927
Congress Failed To Recycle 63 Million Cans And Bottles Since 1995, Valued At Nearly $1 Million
WASHINGTON (October 2, 2000) - Congress wasted the opportunity to recycle more than 63 million aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles since 1995, according to research released today by the Container Recycling Institute.
"Visitors to the Capitol, along with members of Congress and their staff used an estimated 63 million beverage containers since 1995, most of which went to landfills rather than being recycled. If just 60 percent of these containers were recycled, the U.S. Treasury would have earned $572,000 at current market prices," said Pat Franklin, executive director of the Container Recycling Institute.
The Container Recycling Institute (CRI) is a non-profit research and education organization headquartered in Arlington, VA. CRI serves as a national clearinghouse for information on container recycling and packaging issues.
"Congress is wasting taxpayers' dollars, wasting energy and wasting precious resources. Making aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles from recycled materials saves energy and reduces pollution," Franklin said. "For example," she said, "it takes the same amount of energy to make four aluminum cans from virgin materials as it does to make one can from recycled cans."
CRI prepared its analysis in response to news reports that the U.S. Architect of the Capitol could not substantiate lost revenue from failing to recycling beverage cans and bottles. Congress made virtually no money in the past several years from beverage container recycling.
"Congress could improve its recycling program by providing recycling bins for soft drink and non-carbonated drink containers in all cafeterias, food service facilities, meeting rooms and other public areas on the Capitol grounds," Franklin said.
According to CRI, one-half of the U.S. population recycles their cans and bottles as part of a curbside recycling program, and in ten states where beverage containers have a refundable deposit (usually a nickel or a dime) consumers recycle three out of every four beverage containers sold. "Our elected representatives in Washington should follow the example of the majority of Americans who have chosen recycling over wasting," said Franklin.
"It is hard to say which is worse, Congress wasting hard earned taxpayer dollars or squandering energy and finite resources. Either way, it's a solid waste," Franklin said.
Plastic Soda Bottle Waste Doubles In Four-Year Period
April 19, 2000
Contact: Pat Franklin 703/276-9800
Plastic Soda Bottle Waste Doubles In Four-Year Period
Wilmington, DE (April 19, 2000) - As the Coca-Cola Company shareholders prepare to meet for their annual meeting in Wilmington, Delaware on April 19th, the Container Recycling Institute reports that plastic soda bottle waste doubled between 1994 and 1998. According to CRI's analysis of industry data, the number of plastic soda bottles discarded increased from 7.6 billion in 1994, to a staggering 15.1 billion in 1998.
"That's 41 million soda bottles every day that end up in landfills or tossed on the side of the road, " said CRI's executive director, Pat Franklin.
CRI, a nonprofit, education organization serving as a clearinghouse for container and packaging waste issues, attributes the increase in wasting to the rapid growth in 20-ounce plastic soda bottle sales, from 3.3 billion units sold in 1994 to 12.3 billion units in 1998. Franklin said the 20-ounce plastic soda bottles are difficult to capture in curbside recycling programs because they are sold primarily through vending machines and convenience stores.
"Wasting is the flip side of recycling," said Franklin. "The wasting rate is climbing while the recycling rate is falling, and our research indicates that recycling of these bottles will continue to fall behind production unless new collection systems or more container deposit systems are adopted. According to CRI, in states that have a refundable deposit on soft drink containers, plastic soda bottles are recycled at 2 to 3 times the rate of non-deposit states.
"Coke does a disservice to every one of its customers and shareholders by denying the proven success of bottle bills and allocating company profits to defeat or repeal container deposit legislation," Franklin concluded.
Franklin explained that the 20-ounce soda bottle is extremely profitable for soda manufacturers, because they can sell 8 more ounces of product in a container that costs less to make than an aluminum can. Bottlers profit too. Franklin cited a Beverage World article that said a bottler would have to sell 26 cases of cans for every case of 20-ounce plastic bottles delivered to make the same dollar profit.
"Coke, and all those who are profiting from the plastic soda bottle must accept responsibility for the recycling of this wasteful package," said Franklin. "They could start by halting their attacks on bottle bills."
The Container Recycling Institute, founded in 1991, is a nonprofit, research and public education organization, advocating reduction of container and packaging waste. Additional information on container recycling and deposit systems can be found on CRI's website at www.Container-Recycling.org (Chart attached "Plastic Soda Bottles Wasted: 1994 - 1998")
# # #
|
Plastic Soda Bottles Sold, Recycled, Discarded 1994 -1998 |
|||||
| 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | |
| Plastic Soda Bottles Sold | 14.6 billion | 16.78 billion | 18.56 billion | 21.08 billion | 23.40 billion |
| Recycling Rate | 48% | 41% | 38.6% | 35.8% | 35.5% |
| Plastic Soda Bottles Recycled | 7.0 billion | 6.9 billion | 7.2 billion | 7.6 billion | 8.3 billion |
| Plastic Soda Bottles Discarded | 7.6 billion | 9.9 billion | 11.4 billion | 13.5 billion | 15.1 billion |
| Source: Beverage World, American Plastics Council, compiled by CRI | |||||
| Plastic Soda Bottles | All Plastic Bottles | |
| Plastic Bottle Resin Sales | 1,628 | 6,182 |
| Plastic Bottles Recycled | 580.3 | 1,451.0 |
| Plastic Bottles Discarded | 1,047.7 | 4,654.0 |
| 23 percent of all plastic bottle waste is soda bottle waste | ||
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