Every year, an estimated 100 billion plastic bottles are produced in the U.S., the bulk of which come from three of America’s biggest beverage companies: Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Keurig Dr. Pepper.
The problem? Only one-third of those bottles get recycled; the rest end up in the trash.
That bleak trend has persisted for more than a decade because of spotty collection, outdated processing facilities and other issues, according to the American Beverage Association.
Now, Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo and Keurig Dr. Pepper are trying to change that by investing $100 million to improve recycling collection and processing. They also plan to come out with new packaging next year reminding consumers to recycle.
The American Beverage Association is coordinating the investment, which will be distributed through The Recycling Partnership, a Virginia-based nonprofit that works with local governments to improve recycling rates, and Closed Loop Partners, a New York firm that invests in recycling facilities and new research. The World Wildlife Fund will track the companies’ progress.
From grubby packaging engulfing small Southeast Asian communities to waste piling up in plants from the US to Australia, China’s ban on accepting the world’s used plastic has plunged global recycling into turmoil.
For many years, China received the bulk of scrap plastic from around the world, processing much of it into a higher quality material that could be used by manufacturers.
But at the start of 2018, it closed its doors to almost all foreign plastic waste, as well as many other recyclables, in…
Both The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners say the scale of the investment is unprecedented — and sorely needed. U.S. recycling is a hodge-podge, with 20,000 local governments deciding how best to provide the service. Only 53% of U.S. households have curbside recycling. Six percent have no recycling options at all.
China’s decision last year to cut back drastically on the recycling it accepts from the U.S. also put a spotlight on the problem.
“The U.S. system is so desperate,” said Keefe Harrison, the CEO of the The Recycling Partnership.
Katherine Lugar, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association said that’s a source of frustration for both soda drinkers and corporations.
“Consumers in many cases like the convenience of our plastic bottles, but they are rightfully frustrated when they see a bottle on the beach or in a trash can,” Lugar said. “It’s clear that our recycling system needs big improvements, so consumers know their efforts are going to make a difference.”
Closed Loop will invest in things like robot sorters, which make recycling centers more efficient and profitable. Through matching grants, municipal funds and private investors, the fund says it can triple the beverage companies’ investment to around $400 million.
Right now, only around 6% of U.S. bottles are made from recycled plastic, according to The Recycling Partnership. In some regions of the country, that number is as high as 20%.