PepsiCo joins The Recycling Partnership

It is said that PepsiCo's collaboration with The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit organization in the US, will address the ongoing shortfall in the country’s recycling rates. Currently, still less than half of recyclables in US homes are captured, according to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s recent Centralized Study on Availability of Recycling; just 22 million tons out of an available 46 million tons every year.

The Recycling Partnership has already directly assisted more than 400 local communities, improving curbside recycling for 17 million households. This work has resulted in the recovery of 115 million lbs of material, and savings of 382 million gallons of water and 164,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases. Each new funder expands The Recycling Partnership's reach to improve recycling through local and national work.

PepsiCo has already made efforts to cut packaging waste from its snack and beverage products. In 2015 alone, it removed approximately 100 million lbs of packaging and used 139 million lbs of recycled PET. Last year, PepsiCo announced new goals to strive to design 100 percent of its packaging to be recoverable or recyclable by 2025 and to partner to increase packaging recovery and recycling rates.

Roberta Barbieri, vice president, Global Water and Environmental Solutions at PepsiCo, said: ‘To meet our ambitious new goals on packaging waste and recovery, we need to find solutions that work at scale.

‘This starts with the design of our packaging, and PepsiCo is investing to ensure the materials we use are recoverable or recyclable. Beyond design, it is vital that we boost recycling rates in the US, which remain too low. PepsiCo's work with The Recycling Partnership will enable well-informed, collective investment in local recycling infrastructure and education, and drive real environmental benefits in our communities.’

The tie-up with The Recycling Partnership is the latest in a series of collaborations that PepsiCo is undertaking to tackle packaging waste. In March 2017, it entered into an agreement with biotechnology firm Danimer Scientific for the development of biodegradable film resins for thin film packaging. In May 2017, it joined the New Plastics Economy, an initiative led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to bring together industry, government, nongovernmental organizations, scientists, students and citizens to build a more sustainable global plastics value chain. PepsiCo, through the PepsiCo Foundation, is also a founding member of the Closed Loop Fund, which is investing 100 million USD to raise recycling rates in the US, including through improved curbside recycling and materials processing. And since 2010, PepsiCo Recycling has worked with more than thousands of schools, numerous college and university campuses, and local communities in the US to boost recycling and raise awareness or the importance of recycling. Since 2010, in schools alone, some 93 million cans and bottles have been recycled through PepsiCo Recycling.

Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, continued: ‘Leading companies understand that the packaging, product and service they deliver must be in alignment with their missions and goals. Investing in recycling directly addresses climate change, delivering measurable reductions in greenhouse gases and water use. Moreover, those investments help communities thrive.

‘Progress is built on commitment across the system, and we are pleased to welcome PepsiCo as a partner.’

Read L&L sustainability columnist Danielle Jerschefske's latest updates on the industry's green initivatives here