Bethesda, Md.-based Honest Tea, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, announced upcoming dates for The Great Recycle, its national initiative to help boost recycling rates. In 2013, The Great Recycle is confirmed to make stops in Washington, D.C., Texas, New York, Vermont and Washington with additional dates expected to be added in the coming weeks. These stops are an expansion of the tour, which has already visited New York City; Seattle; Rochester, N.Y.; and West Palm Beach, Fla., collecting more than 32,000 beverage containers along the way. The Great Recycle is part of Honest Tea’s commitment to be part of a national system that supports the recycling of every beverage container produced by 2020.
 
“The Great Recycle is a natural expansion of the environmentally conscious activities we’ve spearheaded including The Drink Pouch Brigade, an upcycling initiative we developed with Terracycle in 2007,” said Honest Tea Co-founder and TeaEO Seth Goldman in a statement. “Our Great Recycle events create a fun, festive atmosphere that educate and inspire people to recycle on a regular basis — it’s a great way for Honest Tea to continue being part of the solution.”
 
The following are confirmed dates in April 2013:
April 17-18: The Great Recycle at Earth Month at Union Station, Washington, D.C.
April 20-21: Earth Day Dallas, Dallas
April 21: Earth Day New York Celebration, Union Square, New York City
June 7-8: Strolling of the Heifers, Brattleboro, Vt.
July 18-21: All Good Music Festival, Thornville, Ohio
August 2-3: The Seattle Great Recycle, Seattle Center, Seattle
 
At The Great Recycle events,  most of which will feature either the original 30-foot-tall or brand-new 12-foot-tall recycling bin, Honest Tea will issue an open-call for people to come down to trade in their empty beverage containers for items such as T-shirts, yoga mats, gift certificates, bicycles and more. While one bottle recycled will garner a smaller item, such as a sticker or Honest Tea-branded bracelet, larger numbers of bottles recycled will yield a bigger reward, such as bicycles and restaurant gift certificates, redeemable at the on-site rewards redemption booth while supplies last.  
 
Honest Tea will partner with local recycling companies at each location to ensure that the containers collected are recycled in accordance with local laws. The beverage company also will partner with national and local environmental organizations to help educate and inspire participants to make recycling a regular routine in their daily lives.
 
For those unable to make it to any of The Great Recycle events, Honest Tea is providing another opportunity for people to get involved by making a weekly recycling pledge and recycling an old Facebook post at www.thegreatrecycle.com.