Coca-Cola goes green and reveals its eco-friendly efforts

Coca-Cola might have its secrets (like the recipe for its famous soft drink, locked up in an Atlanta bank vault), but its relationship with the Olympic Games is anything but hush-hush. A sponsor since the 1928 Summer Games in Amsterdam, Coca-Cola holds the record as having the longest continuous partnership with the Olympic Movement.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
At this year’s Summer Games in Beijing one of the things Coca-Cola is focusing on is how to help the environment. Its plan is to raise awareness about the many ways plastic can be reused.

“Coca-Cola is promoting recycling at the Beijing Games with extensive signage and numerous recycling bins,” reports David G. Brooks, General Manager of the 2008 Olympic Project Group. “And we are very happy to report that all PET plastic bottles collected from all official venues will be fully recycled into valuable reuses, through a Coca-Cola partnership with BOCOG and the City of Beijing.”

One of their initiatives includes gifting every 2008 Olympian and Paralympian with an exclusive t-shirt made out of recycled beverage containers. The limited edition shirts will feature the slogan “I’m From Earth,” and the back will depict five beverage bottles, the same number of recycled containers it took to make the shirt.

Environmental Champions
On 13 August, the company will premiere its new documentary film, which tells the stories of seven torch relay runners selected by Coca-Cola in honour of their dedication towards the environment. Some of the featured “Environmental Champions” include: Alby Wooler of Australia, known for his volunteer environmental work, and China’s Liu Hong-Liang, a noted environmental scientist specialising in lake research. The movie was shot and edited by student filmmakers from the torchbearers’ respective countries and will be shown inside the “Shuang Experience Center” located on the Olympic Green.

China Air
And as if that wasn’t enough, Coca-Cola also plans to help improve the air quality in Beijing by using only electric or human powered delivery vehicles throughout the Olympic venues. Additionally, within each stadium, Coca-Cola will be offering up its products out of high-tech coolers and vending machines that will emit upwards of 400 tonnes less greenhouse gases (the equivalent of taking more than 19,000 cars off the road for two weeks!).