Coca-Cola announced a long-term target to recycle or reuse 100 percent of the aluminum beverage cans it sells in the United States. The new goal builds on the previous objective of recycling or reusing 100 percent of its PET plastic bottles. Recycling aluminum requires 95 percent less energy than creating aluminum from raw materials, the company says. Coca-Cola currently uses an average of 60 percent recycled aluminum in its cans.
“We established Coca-Cola Recycling to help increase recycling rates in North America and to ensure that our system has ready access to recycled material,” said John Burgess, president and chief operating officer, Coca-Cola Recycling. “By the end of 2008, Coca-Cola Recycling will recycle more than 100 million pounds each of PET and aluminum.”