Coca-Cola leads Recycling effort during NASCAR's 2009 Ford Championship Weekend at the Homestead Miami Speedway
More than 2.5 Million Beverage Containers Diverted from Landfills during 2009 NASCAR Season
(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) Miami, Florida, 11/19/2009 – Coca-Cola will join forces with NASCAR and the Homestead Miami Speedway to bring recycling to NASCAR fans during the 2009 Ford Championship Weekend November 20 – 22. The event in Homestead, Florida marks the culmination of a season-long effort to encourage NASCAR fans to recycle.
During the 2009 season, Coca-Cola and NASCAR collaborated to bring recycling programs to 14 tracks, and as a result of this initiative more than 2.5 million beverage containers were diverted from landfills into the recycling stream.
For this weekend’s season-ending events, more than 400 Coca-Cola identified recycling bins have been placed around Homestead-Miami Speedway, giving race-goers plenty of opportunities to recycle their used beverage bottles and cans. Fans camping at the RV campground site can recycle their aluminum and plastic beverage containers in special plastic recycling bags provided by
Coca-Cola. A few lucky recyclers at the campgrounds will be rewarded by NASCAR with an exciting track experience – a lap around the track in a pace car, a spot at the drivers’ pre-race meeting, or access to the infield to view the driver introductions.
The Coca-Cola Recycling Education Vehicle will be on hand throughout the race weekend, interacting with fans and rewarding them for recycling. The 40-foot educational trailer features videos and interactive games designed to inform and educate consumers about the importance of recycling. “Our used packaging materials are valuable resources that can be used to manufacture new products. We’re excited to have an opportunity to reach out to NASCAR fans and talk about the impact recycling can have on their communities,” said John Burgess, president of Coca-Cola Recycling.
“This season, key stakeholders and partners throughout the NASCAR industry have launched a number of impactful and measurable programs demonstrating real environmental stewardship,” said Dr. Mike Lynch, Managing Director for Green Innovation at NASCAR. “Among the most notable efforts this year, we’ve made significant progress in solid waste recycling, with Coca-Cola leading the way in fan education and at-track execution.”
About Coca-Cola Recycling LLC
Based in Atlanta, Coca-Cola Recycling is dedicated to recovering and recycling packaging materials used in North America – including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, aluminum, cardboard and plastic film. Coca-Cola Recycling is working to recover and recycle the equivalent of 100 percent of the packaging produced by the Coca-Cola system in North America.
About Coca-Cola Enterprises
Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. (CCE) is the world’s largest marketer, distributor and producer of bottled and can liquid non alcoholic refreshment. Coca-Cola Enterprises sells approximately 80 percent of The Coca-Cola Company’s bottle and can volume in North America and is the sole licensed bottler for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco and the Netherlands.
About NASCAR
NASCAR and its many partners and key stakeholders are bound by a commitment to improving the communities in which the sport operates, mitigating the sport’s environmental impact, and sharing conservation messages with fans. The sanctioning body is now leading an industry-wide initiative to reduce its overall carbon footprint and production of waste and is implementing various initiatives on and off the racetrack that demonstrate a dedication to protecting the environment.
About Homestead Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is the only venue ever to host all of North America’s premier motorsports championships: the IndyCar, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car and Firestone Indy Lights Series during the NextEra Energy Resources SPEEDJAMsm Championships; and NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series during Ford Championship Weekend Nov. 20-22, 2009.
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