Green | February 17, 2009 | 11 comments

Coke vs. Pepsi: The Fight for the "Greenest Beverage Company" crown

source: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=cola-shrink-emissions-trash

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The great global cola war has spilled into a new theater of operations: the environment.

Hardly a week passes without the two soft-drink behemoths, the Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo, announcing new environmental initiatives. Both have launched ambitious water-conservation and recycling drives, and the two are now working feverishly to improve their energy efficiency.

Most of what they do saves them money and bolsters their bottom lines. But a recent barrage of press releases from both touting small-scale efforts in single bottling plants and massive global initiatives suggests Coke and Pepsi are engaged in combat over which will wear the "greenest beverage company" crown.

In the latest round, Coke is working with a New York company to encourage the glitterati at Fashion Week, which is ongoing, to recycle cans and bottles. Each day, Boro Recycling will empty recycling bins bearing Coke's "Give It Back" logo that are scattered throughout Bryant Park.

Meanwhile, PepsiCo says it is also making strides in expanding recycling. At least 10 percent of the plastic that goes into the average bottle of Pepsi is recycled material, and the company says it is trying to boost that percentage, aware that a greater reliance on recycled material will likely save the company money in the long term.

"If it didn't help the bottom line, it would be hard to justify -- especially in this economic environment," said David DeCecco at PepsiCo. "It is our belief that the sustainability efforts that save money are the ones that are going to last."
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