Oklahoma town receives investment under Every Bottle Back

America’s leading beverage companies and environmental and sustainability partners have announced that Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is the latest locale selected for investment under Every Bottle Back, an initiative to improve the collection and recycling of plastic bottles.

According to a press release from the Washington-based American Beverage Association (ABA), through Every Bottle Back’s $390,500 investment, Broken Arrow will launch a new curbside recycling program and provide 35,000 households with carts and recycling education materials. Currently, Broken Arrow residents do not have curbside recycling, which means recyclables, such as plastic bottles, are being landfilled.

The investment is estimated to collect 124 million pounds of recyclable materials over 10 years, of which 2.1 million pounds will be aluminum and 5.8 million pounds will be polyethylene terephthalate (PET), both of which are used to make recyclable cans and bottles.

Launched in October 2019 by ABA, Every Bottle Back is a coalition to reduce the beverage industry’s plastic footprint that brings together The Coca-Cola Co., Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo with leading environmental and sustainability organizations at the World Wildlife Fund, Closed Loop Partners and The Recycling Partnership. According to ABA, they will support the circular plastics economy by reinforcing to consumers the value of 100 percent recyclable plastic bottles, ensuring they don’t end up as waste in oceans, rivers or landfills.

“America’s leading beverage companies launched Every Bottle Back last year to assist communities like Broken Arrow in implementing modern recycling programs with technology and infrastructure to ensure more plastic bottles and cans are recovered, recycled and remade,” says Katherine Lugar, ABA president and CEO. “Our collaborative approach will help our industry reduce its plastic footprint and build a more circular economy to use less new plastic overall. Together, we will ensure valuable recyclable materials no longer end up in a landfill or as litter in our communities.”

“This investment will ensure recyclable materials are properly collected and help local residents understand the importance of recycling properly, which is an important first step in building a circular system for our valuable PET plastic bottles,” says James McSpadden of the Oklahoma Beverage Association. “Making recycling accessible and convenient for consumers is a big win for the city of Broken Arrow and a model for Oklahoma.”

“The Recycling Partnership is excited to partner with ABA and the city of Broken Arrow to launch a brand-new curbside recycling program,” says Keefe Harrison, chief executive officer of The Recycling Partnership. “With this grant from The Recycling Partnership, 35,000 curbside-eligible households in the city of Broken Arrow will receive educational materials and a recycling container at no cost, making the city’s recycling services more equitable and accessible while diverting waste from landfills, supporting jobs and protecting the environment.”

The Every Bottle Back initiative will measure industry progress in reducing the use of new plastic by increasing the amount of plastic that is collected and remade into new bottles, ABA reports. ABA says it is also investing in key regions of the U.S. to improve the quality and availability of recycled plastic and in concert has launched a public awareness campaign to remind consumers that our bottles are 100 percent recyclable and, if recycled properly, can be remade into new bottles. For a more detailed overview about the national components, click here.

Additionally, The Closed Loop Fund, a loan fund operated by Closed Loop Partners, will provide an additional loan for carts with the city.