Coca-Cola, a brand of Atlanta-based The Coca-Cola Co., has teamed up with local pizzerias across the United States to launch Toss In, Take Out, a traveling restaurant takeover to serve up slices and pies. But, not for any amount of money, instead for the act of recycling a plastic bottle.
This fall, Coca-Cola Trademark brands (Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Flavors) in 20-ounce bottles made from 100% recycled plastic (excluding cap and label) are expanding their availability to new markets, rolling out across Chicago, Atlanta and the Pacific Northwest. Available now in 11 major U.S. markets, Toss In, Take Out will be celebrating the expansion of 100% recycled plastic bottles through takeovers of consumers’ favorite pizza spots in New York City, Atlanta and Chicago.
New Yorkers can forget their wallet for a day and savor a slice of pizza at the famous Bleecker Street Pizza on Oct. 24 as the first restaurant takeover stop. Coke will then head to Goodfellas Pizza & Wings in Atlanta on Nov. 2, and Lou Malnati's Pizzeria in Chicago on Nov. 7. Consumers who bring in any empty plastic beverage bottle to recycle (including non-Coke products) will have the opportunity to use it as currency to receive their hometown’s pizza and a cold 20-ounce Coke beverage served in a 100% recycled plastic bottle.
“Legendary Chicago Deep Dish and Coke are a perfect pairing at Lou Malnati’s, and we’re thrilled to partner with Coca-Cola on this recycling program,” said Marc Malnati, owner of Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, in a statement. “We will soon offer their 20-ounce bottles made from 100% recycled plastic at all our locations in Chicagoland. Bring any recyclable plastic bottle into our West Loop restaurant at 1259 West Randolph St. on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and we’ll buy you a slice and a 20-ounce bottle of Coke to celebrate.”
Coca-Cola Trademark first launched bottles made from 100% recycled plastic in 2021 across California, New York, and Texas and was a first-of-its-kind innovation for the brand in the United States.
“The expanded availability of Coca-Cola Trademark products in 100% recycled plastic bottles advances our ambitions to reduce virgin plastic and drive a circular economy for our packaging, the fundamental principle behind our sustainable packaging initiative, World Without Waste,” said Kurt Ritter, vice president and general manager of sustainability at The Coca-Cola Co. North America, in a statement. “Our ability to use 100% recycled plastic is a direct result of consumers’ sustained commitment to recycling. In the future, we plan to bring this design innovation to more brands and markets.”
With 20-ounce bottles made from 100% recycled plastic expanding its availability, Coca-Cola expects to save more than 37 million pounds of new plastic on an annual basis ― the equivalent of approximately 890 million bottles ― in 2024 alone. The shift also is estimated to reduce more than 39,000 tons of CO2 equivalent annually in the United States, the equivalent of taking around 8,400 cars off the road for one year. This expansion of bottles made from 100% recycled plastic advances The Coca-Cola Co.’s progress toward its World Without Waste goal of using at least 50% recycled material in bottles and cans by 2030 globally.
