Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. Reduces Carbon Footprint While Growing Business, Improves Water Use Ratio and Launches Recycling Joint Venture

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Atlanta - June 28, 2011 - Coca-Cola Enterprises (NYSE/NYSE Euronext Paris: CCE) released today its sixth company-wide Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) Report, Committed to 2020: Shaping a Sustainable Future in Europe. Coca-Cola Enterprises employs 13,500 employees and operates 17 manufacturing facilities across Western Europe, where the company distributes a wide range of beverages including regular, no- and low-calorie sparkling, energy and sports drinks, waters, juices and juice drinks, coffees and teas. 

The Report is CCE’s first as a European-focused company and provides a detailed overview of its progress towards Commitment 2020, the company’s CRS targets and goals in its focus areas -- Energy Conservation/Climate Change, Water Stewardship, Sustainable Packaging/Recycling, Product Portfolio, Active Healthy Living, Community, and Workplace.  The report also reviews how CCE is engaging with stakeholders across its European territories to discuss what sustainability leadership entails and the implications for CCE as a European company.

“CRS is core to our business and at the forefront of our company’s priorities. We are committed to being the CRS leader in the food and beverage industry in Europe and are proud of our significant sustainability progress,” said John F. Brock, chairman and chief executive officer.   “We recognize this is an on-going journey and believe that partnering with our stakeholders is the only way to determine how to shape our CRS commitments so we continue to be a viable part of the solution to environmental and social challenges.”  

In 2010, CCE calculated its operational carbon footprint at 795,181 metric tons, a reduction of four percent since 2009, while the business grew volume by four percent. The company has invested in carbon reduction projects, focusing on its cold drink equipment and improving efficiencies in manufacturing and distribution. CCE also exceeded its water use ratio reduction target one year ahead of schedule, using 1.42 liters of water to make one liter of product, down six percent from 1.51 liters in 2009. Through CCE’s internal recycling infrastructure in its facilities, the company achieved a 99.5 percent waste recovery rate across its territories. In March 2011, CCE announced a joint venture with ECO Plastics to develop one of the biggest plastic reprocessing facilities in Western Europe. When operational, the facility is expected to make a step change in the plastics reprocessing industry in Great Britain by producing 25,000 tons of recycled PET (rPET) annually, more than doubling the amount of high quality rPET produced in the country at present. The facility will supply CCE with enough high quality rPET to include 25 percent rPET in all our plastic packaging in Great Britain by 2012.

In 2009 and 2010, CCE was named #1 in the food and beverage industry in Newsweek's Green Rankings.  CCE’s latest CRS Report has been verified by SGS and is self-assessed at level B+ in alignment with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The Report can be accessed at http://www.cokecce.com, and comments and feedback related are welcome at crs@cokecce.com.

2010/2011 CCE CRS Report Highlights:

• Reduced overall carbon footprint by 35,600 tonnes (four percent) from 2009, while growing business volume by four percent

• Invested $8.1 million in making cold drinks equipment more efficient and installed 2,800 doors on open-fronted coolers

• Reduced water use ratio to 1.42 liters of water per liter of product, down six percent from 1.51 liters in 2009

• Announced £5 million investment in a joint venture with ECO Plastics to develop a new purpose-built recycling facility in Lincolnshire, Great Britain

• Reduced the amount of packaging used by 35,000 tonnes, meeting the target the company set in 2008

• Recovered 99.5 percent of waste at manufacturing facilities

• Launched PlantBottle in Norway and Sweden

• Invested $4.3 million to support a range of community initiatives aligned with CRS focus areas 

• Held second  Supplier Sustainability Summit, bringing together its top 50 suppliers to discuss how best to work together to innovate and reduce impacts throughout its value chain 

Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. is the leading Western European marketer, distributor, and producer of bottle and can liquid nonalcoholic refreshment and one of the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottlers. CCE is the sole licensed operator for products of The Coca-Cola Company in Belgium, continental France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. For more information about our company or CRS, please visit our website at www.cokecce.com.   CCE14884