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Sustainability Commitment Update: Coca-Cola Canada

 

 

One Year Update

Live Positively is our commitment to making a positive difference in the world. In redesigning the way we work and live, we consider sustainability as part of everything we do. As we work with an eye towards future generations, we focus on driving business growth and creating a more sustainable world.  Below is a summary of some of our progress from February 10, 2010 – February 10, 2011 in the areas of Sustainable Packaging and Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection.

 

Sustainable Packaging:

Our Sustainable Packaging Strategy includes:

  • REDUCE the weight of our packaging without compromising its quality. Light weighting helps us avoid the use of virgin PET and decreases the amount of carbon emissions throughout the container’s life cycle.
  • REUSE and RENEW our old packages to create new PET containers with increased recycled content; while also developing packaging, such as our new PlantBottle™ packaging, from renewable and repurposed resources.
  • RECOVER and RECYCLE more of our packages by increasing recycling efforts and

In 2010, we launched PlantBottle™ packaging, which is a 100% recyclable PET plastic package made with up to 30 percent of its material derived from plant based waste material. This redesigned plastic package represents a significant step in the journey to becoming the future of recyclable bottles. Using plant-based material to replace a portion of the petroleum used in PET plastic allows Coca-Cola Canada to reduce its use of non-renewable resources.

PlantBottle™ packaging currently is made through a process that turns sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, into a key component for PET plastic. The sugar cane being used comes from predominantly rain-fed crops that were processed into ethanol, not refined sugar. Ultimately, the Company’s goal is to use other types of plant-based waste, such as wood chips or wheat stalks, to produce recyclable PET plastic bottles.

Originally piloted in Western Canada, PlantBottle™ packaging will be available in all DASANI packages across Canada in 2011.

Our Strategy includes:

  • Enhance the brand experience for consumers to further strengthen the affinity they have for our brands
  • Lead PET packaging innovation
  • Environmental credibility – Plantbottle™ is a first step towards achieving a longer term vision of delivering every beverage in 100% renewable and recyclable material
  • Addresses consumers’ attitudes and behaviors around sustainability, including lifestyle changes, view of corporate responsibility and a desire for environmentally friendly packaging

Results:

PlantBottle™ introduction and market launch was well received by pundits, experts and consumers and put The Coca-Cola Company on the forefront of bio-based packaging innovation.

Recyclability of PlantBottle™:

  • By design, it not biodegradable or compostable – it is 100% recyclable just like traditional PET plastic.
  • Recyclable in today’s existing recycling facilities and does not contaminate the recycling stream.
  • Fits in with our overall support for recycling throughout the world.

 

Energy Efficiency and Climate Protection:

By improving energy efficiency across our entire business and introducing Canada’s first ever heavy duty hybrid electric trucks; we’ve reduced our carbon footprint by 11% in just two years.

Our strategy in this area focuses on measuring our carbon footprint (total GHG emissions), then taking steps to reduce it by:

  • Efficiently Using Energy in our production plants, fleet, and sales and marketing equipment
  • Investing in Innovative Energy technologies such as energy-efficient lighting and hybrid technology wherever commercially viable

EMS-55

As of 2010, all new equipment purchased (greater than 250 cubic litres) will be equipped with an EMS-55 system and will be Energy Star-rated.  Our EMS-55 management system is a “smart” temperature control unit for cold drink equipment, and can increase energy efficiency by up to 35%. This technology develops a “user profile” for each piece of equipment, which determines when and how often the cooling compressor needs to operate to ensure a quality beverage of 4 degrees Celsius is dispensed.

After an initial pilot of this technology in 2008, we developed a plan for broader implementation. We retrofitted approximately 400 vending machines with EMS-55 technology and by the end of 2009, purchased 928 Energy Star II glass-front vendors.

HFC-Free Coolers and Vendors

During the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, we deployed HFC-free (hydrofluorocarbon-free) cooling and vending equipment which reduce direct GHG emissions by 99% through the use of a CO2 cassette refrigeration unit that replaces an HFC refrigerant and through HFC-free insulation.

Calculated based on an expected ten-year life span of the units, the climate-friendly refrigeration units in the venues could reduce GHG emissions by approximately 5,600 metric tons. To put this number in perspective, it is comparable to taking about 1,200 cars off the road for an entire year.

Now that the 2010 Olympic Winter Games have ended, we are in the process of re-deploying 340 HFC-free vending machines with customers across Canada.

For more detailed information on these initiatives or to learn more about our sustainability efforts, please view our 2009-2010 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report at http://www.coca-cola.ca/corporate_responsibility_report.htm.