IN SUPPORT OF THE CONSUMER ACTION CALLING ON COCA-COLA TO USE RECYCLED POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET) IN THEIR BOTTLES

WHEREAS, the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board is charged with helping Alameda County to achieve its goals of reducing, reusing and recycling 50% of all discarded materials generated in the County by 2000 and 75% by 2010; and,

WHEREAS, the Source Reduction and Recycling Board helped to fund the 1995/96 Waste Characterization Study that showed tonnages of plastics landfilled in Alameda County increased 41.5% between 1990 and 1995, whereas all other major materials categories decreased between 0.4% and 64.8%; and,

WHEREAS, fifteen of the sixteen contracting municipalities in Alameda County contract for the residential curbside collection and recycling of PET plastic soda bottles; and,

WHEREAS, while the market value of recycled PET has varied widely over the years, the market conditions prevailing now and in recent years have contributed to declining recycling rates for PET bottles each year since 1994; and

WHEREAS, Alameda County has long promoted the use of reusable and recycled products through its purchasing practices, educational efforts and the extensive support of market development initiatives; and

WHEREAS; FDA-approved technology exists today to incorporate recycled PET into new beverage containers, and proven technology for refillable plastic bottles also exists, and in fact both of these processes are being done by Coca-Cola itself in many nations throughout the world; and

WHEREAS; it is widely acknowledged that the use of recycled PET in the production of beverage containers would have an enormous positive impact on the value of recycled PET; and

WHEREAS; the Coca-Cola Company has made the marketing decision to increase its use of PET plastic, and move away from the use of easily recyclable glass and aluminum for their containers; and

WHEREAS; we were thankful when the Coca-Cola Company voluntarily committed to using recycled PET in their containers in 1990, at a time when many states were considering bottle bill and mandatory recycled-content initiatives to bring about increased recycling;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board supports the consumer action calling on Coca-Cola to use recycled PET in their bottles, thereby closing the recycling loop, and returning a measure of rationality and profitability to the operations of our nation's public and private recycling programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Source Reduction and Recycling Board calls upon Coca-Cola to commit to the introduction of refillable plastic soda bottles into the U.S. market, similar to those in use by Coca-Cola in other countries, and to commit to the sales of 5% of its packaged soft drinks in such refillable containers in the U. S. by 2003; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Source Reduction and Recycling Board commits to working with Coca-Cola and with other beverage manufacturers to successfully achieve these goals.

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