The American Beverage Association announced this week it has become a founding member in the National Recycling Partnership created to reinvigorate recycling in America.

This historic partnership—which includes the National Recycling Coalition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the American Beverage Association, the Food Marketing Institute, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the International Bottled Water Association—aims to revive consumers’ interest in recycling by educating them on what, how and why to recycle.

“Recycling is of vital importance to our industry, our customers and our suppliers,” said Susan K. Neely, ABA’s president and chief executive officer. “The beverage industry has a long history of involvement in recycling issues and because of our commitment, we are proud to be a partner in this innovative and progressive coalition that will reinvigorate recycling in this country and further protect our environment.”

A top priority for the National Recycling Partnership coalition will be the development and dissemination of consumer-friendly recycling icons as well as accurate and standardized recycling terminology for use in product labeling and advertising.

“ABA’s involvement with the National Recycling Coalition partnership opens a new and important chapter in the beverage industry’s promotion of recycling,” Neely said. “The partnership promises a concerted effort to rebrand recycling and involve stakeholders from the recycling world, EPA and the food and beverage industry. ABA is proud of its leadership role in helping to make the rebranding project a reality.”

Beverage containers are America’s most recycled consumer packaging. In fact, the aluminum beverage can is the most recycled consumer product package on the market today.

Currently, more than half of all aluminum beverage containers are recycled. Aluminum cans also are the most valuable commodity in the waste stream, so revenue from the sale of collected cans helps support recycling programs all over the country. PET (plastic) beverage containers also are widely recycled and very valuable for communities and recyclers. Glass beverage containers can be recycled over and over again, and are in great demand in the areas around glass processing plants in the United States.

Currently, packaging produced by ABA members represents about 1.7 percent of all municipal waste generated each year. The beverage industry strives to produce packaging that is recyclable and to reduce the amount of packaging used through lightweighting; if the industry uses less packaging to begin with, it can successfully reduce its overall environmental footprint.

Links: Pennsylvania Soft Drink Association

10/27/2006