Tropicana launches US recycling initiative

Tropicana – a division of PepsiCo and the leading producer and marketer of branded fruit juices – and Waste Management, the largest residential recycler in the US, have announced the launch of a national initiative to increase the number of juice and milk cartons for recycling.

Waste Management will be accepting juice and milk beverage cartons at all of its recycling processing facilities across the US. The initiative will kick off the long-term goal of increasing beverage carton recycling to every community across the nation, which will be promoted through the Carton Council.

In areas currently accepting cartons, residents can easily recycle juice, milk, soy, broth and other beverage cartons by placing them in their recycling bins as part of their curbside recycling programme. For consumers who must separate recyclables, cartons can be placed with bottles and cans. Consumers can quickly find out if their municipality accepts cartons by visiting the Carton Council website.

Consumers that don't have access to curbside collection of containers are able to go to the 'Think Green, From Home' website and purchase an in-home recycling container.

"Tropicana is dedicated to minimising its impact on the Earth and making it easier for consumers to do their part through recycling and waste reduction initiatives," said Andrew Hartshorn, senior marketing manager, Tropicana Products Inc. "We're proud to be working with Waste Management to promote the expansion of carton recycling across the country, and finding new ways to recycle our products into environmentally beneficial products."

"Waste Management is dedicated to making recycling more accessible for consumers across the country," said Robert Dishman, director for Waste Management Recycle America. "One of our sustainability goals is to triple the amount of recyclables we process from nearly eight million to 20 million tonnes by 2020, with the support of companies such as Tropicana."

Florida Pilot

Tropicana, Waste Management, Dean Foods, Horizon Organic and Silk, plus the Carton Council (Evergreen Packaging, Tetra Pak, Sig Combibloc and Elopak) launched a successful pilot in Tampa, Florida, to expand carton recycling and to educate consumers to recycle their cartons. Encouraged by the Florida Pilot, the initiative is now expanding to include all areas that Waste Management – the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America – has recycling processing facilities.

Waste Management separates the cartons from the other recyclables and sends them to secondary mills for recycling. Juice and milk cartons, like those used by Tropicana, are recycled through a process called hydropulping, which recovers the paper fibres. The fibres are then recycled into tissue, paper towels and other paper products.

The Tropicana carton is largely made of a renewable resource (85% paper and 15% polymer). The paper board in Tropicana's carton recently received certification from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative under its fibre-sourcing certification programme.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative participants practice responsible forestry on the lands they manage, and influence millions of additional acres in North America and globally through certified procurement programmes. These programmes include measures to acquire wood from known legal sources, to keep waters clean and fresh, and to conserve biological diversity.

Source: Tropicana