What goes around comes around. At least that’s our goal when it comes to creating circular economies, also known as closed-loop systems. As part of our efforts to create a more sustainable future, we’re working to ensure what is used is reused.

Unlike a linear economy in which people buy a product, use it and then throw it away, a circular economy focuses on eliminating waste by keeping products and materials in circulation.

Through our Refresh. Recycle. Renew initiative, we’re working hand-in-hand with climate-conscious companies to help create circular economies by leveraging our partnerships with universities, sporting and event venues, businesses, communities, and other organizations. And our efforts are paying off. Last year, through our partnership with Circular Solutions Advisors, we recovered more than 975 million PET bottles. In the first three months of this year, we captured more than 277 million plastic bottles.

Pouring our efforts into creative sustainable solutions
Packaging recovery is just one part of our efforts to create circular economies. We’re also making sure the wastewater produced during the destruction of our unsellable products benefits the environment and local businesses.

For example, Vanguard Renewables mixes the sugar water from our destroyed products with other food waste and cow manure in an anaerobic digestor to produce natural gas, low carbon fertilizer and bedding for cows. The natural gas benefits local homes and businesses. The low carbon fertilizer helps increase farmers’ yields. And since the dried solids from the anaerobic digestive process used for cow bedding contain the cows’ natural microbiome, they sleep happier and naturally produce more milk. Watch this video to see how this innovative process works.

Aligning our plastic bottles with sustainability best practices
Our bottles are made to be remade. And now we’re making them even more eco-friendly with three significant changes:

• The shift to 100% recycled plastic (rPET) across all 20 oz Coca-Cola Trademark products.
• The rollout of our new Harmony bottle for consistent design across all bottles.
• The use of lightweight PET to reduce plastic in our 20 oz, 500 ML, and 12 oz products.

These positive changes are in addition to our move from green to clear plastic bottles for Sprite in 2022. All these upgrades to our plastic bottles benefit the environment in several ways:

• 100% rPET reduces plastic waste, carbon emissions and saves energy.
• The Harmony bottle reduces the amount of PET in bottles.
• Using lightweight PET reduces plastic waste, carbon emissions and the need for more virgin PET.
• Clear plastic bottles are easier to recycle into clear bottles.

While there’s still work to be done, we’re making large strides in coming full circle with our sustainability efforts. We hope you’ll join us in protecting and preserving what matters most by recycling.

For more on our commitment to sustainability, click here.