PepsiCo contributes $10 million to boost U.S. residential recycling
The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of one of the largest food and beverage companies, and national nonprofit The Recycling Partnership have launched “All In On Recycling,” an industry-wide residential recycling challenge to make recycling easier for 25 million families across the United States, providing them with the resources they need to recycle more and recycle better.
The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of one of the largest food and beverage companies, and national nonprofit The Recycling Partnership have launched “All In On Recycling,” an industry-wide residential recycling challenge to make recycling easier for 25 million families across the United States, providing them with the resources they need to recycle more and recycle better.
The PepsiCo Foundation is providing $10 million in funding to jumpstart the historic challenge. The goal of the challenge is to raise $25 million in total donations from leading businesses, companies, and organizations. In addition to contributions from other corporations, the more than 2,800 communities that participate in the initiative are expected to triple the collective investment, catalyzing roughly $75 million in municipal funding, and bringing the total amount of support to $100 million.
“I’ve always believed corporations do not operate in a vacuum—we have responsibilities to the communities we serve,” said Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. “Our collaboration with The Recycling Partnership represents a major step toward fulfilling those responsibilities by helping reverse the decline in recycling rates for aluminum and many common plastics. I hope other corporations across our industry and beyond will join us and commit to being All In On Recycling.”
Currently, due to lack of infrastructure, widely varying municipal recycling programs, and low awareness of proper recycling practices, more than half of the material that could be recycled from U.S. households is lost. However, the problem is not due to lack of desire: 94% of Americans want to recycle more, and would, with easily accessible recycling containers and clear information about proper recycling practices.
Half of the total funds raised by this challenge are expected to help provide curbside carts to more than 550,000 households and the missing infrastructure needed to recover recyclables from multi-family homes such as apartment buildings and condos. The other half of the funding will support critical recycling education and operational programs that will increase collection of recyclables while reducing contamination.