Reducing Our Packaging

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Commitment 2020 About This CRS Report A Message from Our Chairman and CEO Our Business at a Glance Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at CCE CRS Governance CRS in Action

Energy Conservation/Climate Change Overview Understanding Climate Risks Our Energy Conservation/Climate Change Strategy Reducing Our Core Emissions Our Carbon Footprint Our Product Footprints Reducing Emissions from Our Sales and Marketing Equipment Partnerships and Public Policy

Water Stewardship Overview Understanding Our Water Risks Our Water Stewardship Strategy Reducing Our Water Use and Improving Our Efficiency Our Water Footprint Recycling, Reclaiming, and Responsible Treatment Protecting and Replenishing Our Watersheds Partnerships and Public Policy

Sustainable Packaging/Recycling Overview Understanding Our Packaging Challenges Our Sustainable Packaging/Recycling Strategy Reducing Our Packaging Reusing Materials and Increasing Recycled Content Developing Renewable Resources Recycling at Our Facilities Effective Recovery and Consumer Recycling Partnerships and Public Policy

Product Portfolio/Balanced and Active Lifestyle Overview Understanding Our Product Portfolio Challenges Our Product Portfolio Strategy Providing Choice A Selection of New 2009 Products Nutritional Labeling School Beverage Guidelines Implementation Responsible Sales and Marketing Supporting Balanced and Active Lifestyles Partnerships and Public Policy

Diverse and Inclusive Culture Overview Understanding Our Diverse and Inclusive Culture Challenges Our Diverse and Inclusive Culture Strategy Measuring Diversity Building Our Diversity and Inclusion Infrastructure Recruitment Retention and Promotion Safety Providing Equal Opportunities Partnerships and Public Policy

Stakeholder Engagement NGOs and Public-Private Partnerships Employees Our Suppliers Customers Consumers Our Communities Public Policymakers Our Shareowners

Sustainable Packaging/
Recycling Overview

Understanding Our Packaging Challenges

Our Sustainable Packaging/
Recycling Strategy

Reducing Our Packaging

Reusing Materials and Increasing Recycled Content

Developing Renewable Resources

Recycling at Our Facilities

Effective Recovery and Consumer Recycling

Partnerships and Public Policy

Reducing Our Packaging

We continue to design and refine our primary packaging in new and innovative ways that use less material (see “Our Lightweighting Initiatives” below), but deliver the same standards of safety, quality, and functionality. Our lightweighting efforts have focused on reducing bottle closures and wall thickness, while maintaining high quality standards.

In 2008 and 2009, our primary packaging lightweighting initiatives resulted in a packaging reduction of 72,500 metric tons, with more than 61,500 metric tons in North America and 11,000 metric tons in Europe. Because of this work, we are well-positioned to meet our first packaging reduction target: a 100,000-metric-ton reduction of packaging materials from 2008 through 2010.

In addition to our primary packaging, we are also addressing our use of secondary and tertiary packaging, such as shrink wrap and corrugated packaging. For example, in 2009 we worked to reduce the packaging used in the corrugated trays that carry our products. By removing the side walls on these trays, we reduced their weight by up to 40 percent. This program saved nearly 2,400 metric tons of corrugated packaging in 2008 and 2009.

A pilot program at our San Leandro, California, facility is exploring a way to ship our empty plastic bottles without the stretch wrap that is normally used to hold them in place during transport. The San Leandro facility has partnered with their packaging provider, Western Container, and The Coca-Cola Company to pilot this initiative. The program is expected to avoid the use of nearly 5 metric tons of plastic stretch wrap each year. Currently, this program is being piloted for its effectiveness.

Our Lightweighting Initiatives


	Amount of HDPP/HDPE Saved – click IMAGE to enlarge –

Closures — Presently all bottles smaller than 24 ounces in North America have closures that are 5 millimeters shorter than standard bottle caps. This closure redesign has allowed us to save more than 5,350 metric tons of high-density polypropylene (HDPP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in 2009 and has contributed to a total savings of more than 11,000 metric tons since 2007. This reduction comes from shortening our bottle closures and reducing the length of our bottle necks. By the end of 2010, nearly all PET bottles will have short height closures.


	Amount of Aluminum Saved – click IMAGE to enlarge –

Aluminum — In North America, we introduced a 2-percent to 3-percent lighter can body and lighter can ends, saving 5,900 metric tons of aluminum from 2007–2009. In Europe, lighter can ends have saved 250 metric tons of aluminum. This work builds on our innovative lighter can body that has become the new European industry standard. Together, these initiatives produced a significant savings of more than 6,100 metric tons of aluminum.


	Amount of PET Saved – click IMAGE to enlarge –

PET — Lightweighting our plastic bottles throughout North America has produced savings of more than 51,000 metric tons of PET from 2007–2009. In North America, we have reduced the weight of Dasani 500 mL by nearly 14 percent since 2007. We are in the process of introducing a new design for Dasani 1L, which is 21 percent lighter than the current design. In Europe, we removed further weight from our 500-mL PET bottles and from packages of still beverages such as Oasis, POWERADE, and Nestea, creating an annual reduction of more than 650 metric tons.


	Amount of Glass Saved – click IMAGE to enlarge –

Glass — In Europe, we have converted the majority of our non-refillable glass bottles to ultra-glass. This stronger glass allows us to use one-third less material in each bottle, with annual savings of more than 10,400 metric tons. In 2010, we will complete the process on returnable glass bottles.

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