PepsiCo surpasses 2014 recycling goals, uses more rPET

PepsiCo has reported that it diverted 93 percent of its waste from landfills in 2014, surpassing its recycling goal and reusing 90 percent of its waste.

The company also says it decreased the overall amount of packaging by 89 million pounds in 2014 versus the prior year and used 134 million pounds of food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) packages and bottles, an increase of 23 percent from 2013.

The findings are included in the company's recently released 2014 Corporate Sustainability Report. PepsiCo also released a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Report and its first-ever sustainability microsite, howwillwe.com.

The consumer products company says its environmental sustainability programs saved it more than $375 million since its goals were established in 2010. PepsiCo says the savings were achieved through the continued progress of its water, energy, packaging and waste-reduction initiatives. During the same time , the company reports, it delivered double-digit net revenue and operating profit growth, demonstrating that investments in sustainability are mutually beneficial for business and society.

PepsiCo says the efforts are part of its “Performance with Purpose” commitment to deliver financial performance while integrating sustainability into operations.

“Performance with Purpose helps drive our business growth and prepares us to meet the needs of our changing world,” says Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. “As leaders gather this month to adopt the UN Sustainable Development Goals, PepsiCo will reflect on progress made to date and renew its focus on doing more in the years ahead. By continuing to apply our scale and capabilities to address shared societal challenges, we will further strengthen our company and the communities where we operate.”