MIAMI, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo
(NASDAQ: PEP) and Ocean Conservancy announced today, in the lead up
to Super Bowl LIV in Miami, plans
to partner on a series of beach cleanups around the United States. The first cleanup will be
held at Oleta River State Park on Saturday,
February 1, with singer Ally
Brooke and country music duo LOCASH.
"We need all hands on deck to tackle ocean plastic pollution,
and we are thrilled to have PepsiCo join Team Ocean and help engage
more people and volunteers in the fight," said Janis Searles Jones, CEO of Ocean Conservancy.
"Plastic pollution is one of the most visceral and visual threats
facing the ocean, and we know from three decades of mobilizing the
International Coastal Cleanup that nothing changes hearts and minds
like coming face-to-face with the issue at a beach cleanup. Our
hope is that we can leverage PepsiCo's incredible reach to make
real change."
"At PepsiCo, we envision a world where plastic never becomes
waste, and that requires both urgent action and collaboration,"
said Simon Lowden, Chief
Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo. "As one of the world's leading
food and beverage companies, we recognize the responsibility we
have to be part of the solution and partnering with Ocean
Conservancy is an exciting opportunity to drive progress in these
communities and beyond."
PepsiCo recently announced that bubly will be packaged
exclusively in aluminum cans and that Aquafina is being tested in
cans this year with select U.S. retailers. The company's premium
water brand LIFEWTR will also be made from 100% recycled plastic in
the U.S. These examples build on PepsiCo's publicly stated targets
to, by 2025, reduce virgin plastic content across its beverage
business by 35% and make all of its packaging 100% recyclable,
compostable or biodegradable. Since July
2018, the company pledged over $51
million to global partnerships designed to boost recycling
rates to support a circular economy. Hundreds of recycling bins
have been placed throughout Miami
this week and the PepsiCo Recycling Roadster will be in town to
inform people about the importance of recycling.
In addition to today's partnership announcement, through the
PepsiCo Foundation, PepsiCo has been active in supporting Ocean
Conservancy's work through Circulate Capital, an investment firm
solely dedicated to financing plastic waste collection and
recycling projects in parts of the world most impacted by the ocean
plastic crisis. The series of cleanups is an opportunity to bring
this behind-the-scenes work to the forefront and engage the public
in ocean conservation.
Ocean Conservancy is the official Ocean Partner of the Miami
Super Bowl Host Committee and its Ocean to Everglades (O2E)
initiative, and in September 2019
launched the #SuperCleanupChallenge to divert or remove 54 tons of
plastic and other trash from Florida-area beaches in the lead up to the big
game. Saturday's cleanup efforts will go toward the 54-ton tally,
and 50 local consumers will collect litter alongside Ally Brooke, LOCASH, employees, government
officials and other special guests.
"I'm so excited to be a part of #TeamOcean and to be joining
PepsiCo and Ocean Conservancy to help leave Florida a little cleaner than when I arrived,"
said Ally Brooke. "I've learned that
everyone has a role to play in the fight against ocean plastics,
and encourage all my fans to learn more at jointeamocean.org."
Scientists estimate that 8 million metric tons of plastics flow
into the ocean every year, either because they are never collected,
or not properly contained. Since 1986, some 15 million volunteers
with Ocean Conservancy's annual International Coastal Cleanup have
removed more than 300 million pounds of trash from beaches and
waterways around the world.
About Ocean Conservancy
Ocean Conservancy is
working to protect the ocean from today's greatest global
challenges. Together with our partners, we create science-based
solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that
depend on it. For more information,
visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us
on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by
consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200
countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more
than $64 billion in net revenue in 2018, driven by a
complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay,
Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product
portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages,
including 22 brands that generate more than $1
billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning
with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the
marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. For
more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
Press Contact:
pepsicomediarelations@pepsico.com
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SOURCE PepsiCo