Kum & Go and PepsiCo say their recycling program has expanded to all of Tulsa’s 47 Kum & Go locations. Since launching in January, the recycling initiative has successfully diverted more than 6,000 pounds of recyclable materials from the landfill—about 120,000 plastic bottles and aluminum cans in total. Recognizing the success and impact of the joint recycling effort, The Metropolitan Environmental Trust (The M.e.t.) of Tulsa honored Kum & Go and PepsiCo with the 2013 Recycling Innovator! Award on Friday—America Recycles Day.
PepsiCo recently deployed 275 recycling bins to Tulsa’s 47 Kum & Go locations. Kum & Go and PepsiCo launched the recycling initiative earlier this year that placed dedicated recycling bins next to fuel pumps to allow easy and accessible recycling opportunities for customers. The bin itself resembles a plastic bottle and was designed to stand out as a recycling receptacle to distinguish itself from a trash container.
“Kum & Go is committed to leading our industry in sustainable practices and being a responsible corporate citizen in the communities that we serve. PepsiCo’s strong commitment to promoting environmental sustainability makes them a tremendous business partner, and we’re proud to provide a simple and effective way to help customers recycle at every Kum & Go convenience store in the Tulsa area,” said Adam Hammes, Kum & Go sustainability manager. “It’s a great honor to be recognized by The M.e.t. on America Recycles Day, and we look forward to expanding our recycling efforts to help keep recyclables out of the landfill.”
Added Michael Patton, executive director of The M.e.t., “We know that more people are recycling in their homes, but it’s on-the-go that presents a challenge. The Kum & Go and PepsiCo recycling initiative addresses this challenge and provides a convenient solution that is greatly benefiting the Tulsa area and truly increasing recycling in a meaningful way.”
The PepsiCo Recycling initiative, introduced on Earth Day 2010, brings innovative recycling solutions to colleges and universities, K-12 schools, gas stations and popular retail locations across North America with the goal of increasing the U.S. beverage container recycling rate to 50 percent by 2018.
