The American Beverage Association (ABA), Washington, D.C., announced that the effort by America’s leading beverage companies to boost the recycling of plastic bottles saw the initiation of modernization projects in Texas, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. These projects will help more than 349,000 households recycle nearly 38 million new pounds of PET plastic over 10 years for remaking into new bottles, it adds.

Independent evaluator Keybridge LLC released its annual report on progress toward a nationwide goal, set by the beverage industry and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, to reduce the calories and sugar Americans get from beverages. The report noted that 2019 saw the largest single-year reduction in calorie consumption and the third consecutive year of declines since the launch of the initiative.

The American Beverage Association (ABA), Washington, D.C., announced it has joined the newly formed U.S. Plastics Pact as a Not-for-Profit Founding Activator. In this role, ABA will provide leadership in the transition to the circular economy for plastics and work with pact stakeholders to promote its acceleration, the association says. 

America’s leading beverage companies — The Coca-Cola Co., Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo — announced the launch of the Every Bottle Back initiative, an effort to reduce the industry’s use of new plastic by making significant investments to improve the collection of the industry’s valuable plastic bottles so they can be made into new bottles.

The American Beverage Association (ABA), Washington, D.C., announced that Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), will join ABA as its new president and CEO later this year. Lugar will succeed Susan K. Neely, who led the ABA for 13 years. Neely was named president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) in May 2018.