Stay Warm At The Winter Olympics - Wear A Coca‑Cola Bottle

            

Coca‑Cola staff at Winter Olympics will sport uniforms made of recycled bottles as the Company delivers on its commitment to a green Vancouver Games. 

Each uniform contains up to 120 used plastic bottles. The uniforms are part of a series of pioneering initiatives to create Coca‑Cola's first ever zero waste, carbon-neutral sponsorship at the Games. 

Coca‑Cola, which has been supporting the Olympic Movement since 1928, is sponsoring the Winter Games which open today.  

The green initiatives: 

• Zero waste: Achieved through the use of sustainable packaging and by ensuring 100 per cent collection of all plastic (PET) containers used throughout Olympic venues. More than 800 Coca‑Cola concentrate barrels are being reused as recycling bins throughout the Olympic venues.
• Carbon neutral: Introducing leading edge technologies including HFC free coolers and a fleet of hybrid carts and delivery vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with all emissions offset. 

 

The Company will be using wood salvaged from the pine-beetle epidemic in British Columbia to produce café furniture for the athletes' village and delivering its drinks using a fleet of diesel-electric hybrid heavy-duty vehicles and electric cars within the venues.

This first zero waste, carbon-neutral sponsorship takes the baton from the Beijing Games where the Company was awarded the first 'green medal' by Greenpeace for using climate-friendly coolers and vending machines in all official venues. 

The Coca‑Cola Company is committed to taking the same approach in London in 2012: 

Coca‑Cola GB President Sanjay Guha said: "The Vancouver Winter Olympics will set a gold standard for Coca‑Cola and we are committed to adopting the same approach for London 2012. Being a sustainable business is the right thing for our customers, business and the environment. We are committed to being a leader and the prize is inspiring communities across the globe to take action on the environment." 

Coca‑Cola is determined to help make London 2012 as green as possible and fully supports the LOCOG vision: 'to use the power of the Games to inspire change'. Ambitious plans are in development to minimise waste and water use and to cut carbon emissions. The Company is particularly focused on building on work already underway to drive recycling levels up in GB.

In partnership with WRAP, Coca‑Cola is establishing 80 Recycle Zones by 2011, making it easier for consumers to recycle when they are out and about. There are already 34 live Zones in high profile locations from Thorpe Park, Manchester Airport and the London Eye to shopping centres, hospitals, university campuses and city centre locations. Recycle Zones are also set up at outdoor events such as music festivals and sports events like the Newquay Surf Classic and Epsom Derby.  Over 50 tonnes of recyclable material has been collected to date. 

 

Ends

For more information please contact the Coca‑Cola GB press office on

 +44(0)20 8237 3782 or gbpressoffice@eur.ko.com

 

Notes to Editors:

About The Coca‑Cola Company

The Coca‑Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca‑Cola, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion-dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca‑Cola Zero, glacéau vitaminwater, PowerAde, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com and www.coca-cola.co.uk.

About Coca‑Cola and the Olympic Movement

The Coca‑Cola Company has been an Olympic Games partner since 1928 and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. The Company works with National Olympic Committees in more than 200 countries to help athletes train and compete. More than 90 percent of the Coca‑Cola system's investment in the Olympic Games is directed to athlete development and to assist in staging the Games. Products of The Coca‑Cola Company refresh athletes, volunteers, officials and spectators during the Olympic Games. The Coca‑Cola Company is the exclusive nonalcoholic beverage provider to the Olympic Games through 2020.