PepsiCo is joining with The Nature Conservancy, a conservation organization to encourage the recycling of empty beverage containers and aware consumers to promote recycling so that water sources throughout the U.S can be conserved.
PepsiCo is introducing the expansion of recycling bins availability in U.S as part of a five-year partnership namely “Recycle for Nature”. The initiative will begin from gas stations and convenience stores.
According to a national survey conducted by PepsiCo, 81 percent of Americans are agreeing to recycle beverage containers at a given location if bins are available for this purpose. For away-from-home locations, recycling bins are available only 12 percent of the time.
PepsiCo is collaborating with Walmart to increase recycling in the Closed Loop Fund. The Fund provides financing to municipalities and organizations that provide recycling facility at a location where people need it.
The company is now taking care of both on-the-go and curbside recycling as part of an initiative to drive the U.S. beverage container recycling rate to 50 percent by 2018, which is currently at 42 percent.
Al Carey, CEO, PepsiCo Americas Beverages, said, “Most consumers want to recycle when they’re away from home, but there just aren’t enough convenient places to do it. This is a huge opportunity that has been largely unaddressed until now. The easier we can make it to recycle, the more likely people are to recycle; and by giving consumers the added incentive of helping protect our watersheds and we can make an impact.”
In addition, the partnership provides consumers an incentive to recycle, protecting drinking water at its source.
Consumers can drive efforts to protect drinking water in five key areas that supply water, by recycling more often.
With the growth of economy and population water sources face high pressure. Protecting the rivers that provide water for people and nature is a smart investment for any company, said Mark R. Tercek, president, CEO, The Nature Conservancy.
“Recycle for Nature” provides consumers a chance for drinking water conservation efforts by recycling more often. For every one point gained in the U.S. beverage container recycling rate each year, PepsiCo gives additional donation to The Nature Conservancy.
The target of the program is to reach up to $1 million total each year for five years and save and restore one billion gallons of water over five years in rivers that supply water to more than 35 million people.
The partnership of PepsiCo with The Nature Conservancy will begin by expanding a pilot program run by PepsiCo in Tulsa, Okla, since 2012.
The program in joint venture with Kum & Go convenience stores and gas stations will have an expanded target of a tenfold increase in the number of recycling bins in the area.
The Nature Conservancy has its activities going on in all 50 states and include more than one million active members.
PepsiCo also supports habitat improvement initiatives along with The Nature Conservancy’s Green Swamp Preserve in North Carolina. This program is aimed to protect carnivorous plants like rare Venus fly trap.