Coca-Cola Enterprises improves water efficiencies, increases recycling, reduces carbon footprint

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has reported significant progress towards achieving its environmental commitments for three consecutive years. Details are outlined in the bottler's Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) Report, Clear on Our Commitments: Our Journey to 2020. The report shows that CCE improved water efficiencies, increased internal recycling rates and reduced its reported carbon footprint in 2009.

The CRS report provides a comprehensive look at the company's progress towards "Commitment 2020," the set of goals CCE announced last year in each of its five strategic CRS focus areas -- Energy Conservation/Climate Change, Water Stewardship, Sustainable Packaging/Recycling, Product Portfolio/Balanced and Active Lifestyle, and Diverse and Inclusive Culture.

"Last year, we set ambitious goals that we are committed to achieving by the year 2020," said John F. Brock, CCE's chairman and chief executive officer. "This report demonstrates the steady progress we are making on our journey as we strive to become a sustainability leader in the Coca-Cola system and across the beverage industry."

2009 CRS Report Highlights:

• Calculated its global carbon footprint at 5.4 million metric tons, a reduction of 11.5 percent from its previously reported 2007 footprint
• Reduced its water use ratio to 1.67 liters of water per liter of product, an improvement of more than 3.5 percent from 2008
• Reduced beverage calories in U.S. schools by 88 percent since 2006 through the American Beverage Association School Beverage Guidelines, and supported First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign by leading the beverage industry's labeling initiative, Clear on Calories
• Achieved an average of 92 and 99 percent waste recycling rates at its North American and European facilities respectively and recovered more than 160 metric tons of aluminum and PET from the marketplace in North America
• Expanded its North American hybrid fleet by 194 trucks, bringing its total to 336, the largest hybrid fleet in North America
• Introduced the PlantBottle, a fully recyclable PET bottle made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent of plant-based materials
• Co-signed the Copenhagen Communiqué to demonstrate the company's support of an equitable deal on climate change
• Conducted its first-ever global CRS in Action Week, engaging 70,000 employees and key stakeholders across its territories to demonstrate CCE's commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainability and its local communities
• Conducted its first global Employee Engagement Survey and found significantly improved levels of employee engagement

Download the report (PDF) or visit the company's Web site at http://www.cokecce.com. Comments and feedback related to the report are welcome at crs@cokecce.com.