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Are You Ready to Join Our Sustainability Crew and Get the Bottles Back?
“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” ~ Marshall McLuhan
Sustainability. What really is sustainability? At its core, the word refers to “meeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” And this goes beyond just environment. In fact, sustainability actually focuses on three significant pillars: society, economy, and environment. Why? Because it is all about balance. The balance that ensures we create programs and initiatives that can have real and lasting impact while still providing the services and products we rely on.
One example of an initiative that is doing just that is “Every Bottle Back.” This initiative is a partnership of America’s leading beverage companies to not only produce 100% recyclable bottles, but to take it the needed step further to ensure those bottles end up exactly where they need to, in recycling bins, and not in our oceans or landfills.
Benefits of Recycling and Its Overall Impact
When it comes to creating a greener, cleaner, and healthier earth, recycling plays a large role. Recycling helps lower greenhouse gas emissions and water pollutants while improving air quality and saving energy by preserving natural resources. So, how does recycling impact our quality of life, and what can you do to contribute?
Beverage Industry Investment in Jacksonville Drives Recycling Participation, Reduced Contamination
“Feet on the Street” program reduced city recycling contamination by 21 percent.
PHOTO: (from left) Alita Kane, The Recycling Partnership; Elizabeth DeWitt, Florida Beverage Association; Cody Marshall, The Recycling Partnership; Ron Salem, president of the Jacksonville City Council; and Eric Fuller, City of Jacksonville.
Beverage Industry Leaders Gather at State Capitol for Fly-In 2023
FBA Board members took part in a Fly-In, a face-to-face experience that allows our dedicated leadership team to gather as a unified group and educate policymakers on the role the beverage industry plays in Florida.
Daytona Beach Awarded Grant to Support Childhood Obesity Prevention, Environmental Health, Sustainability Programs
The Mayor’s Math & Fitness Bootcamp will receive a $125,000 grant made possible by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America.
PHOTO: Daytona Beach Mayor’s Math & Fitness Bootcamp.
FBA is Proud to Honor Community Grant Award Winners from 2022 and 2021
The Florida Beverage Association (FBA) began Spring 2023 by formally recognizing two of its past recipients of its Community Grant Award, an exciting program through which FBA, with the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America, offers grant funding to incentivize projects related to health, wellness and environmental sustainability.
FBA President Elizabeth DeWitt is Appointed as Chair of the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation
The Florida Beverage Association (FBA) is thrilled to announce that President and CEO Elizabeth DeWitt has recently been appointed as Chair of the Florida Recycling Partnership Foundation (FRP).
“We are so excited about Elizabeth taking on this role,” says Keyna Cory, Executive Director of the FRP Foundation. “Her work with FBA and FRP will further our mission of educating businesses and community members on the importance of recycling.” As a nonprofit foundation that is focused primarily on developing and adopting sustainable business practices, the Florida Recycling Partnership allows FBA to connect with diverse organizations from across the state on projects that serve community members while also encouraging environmental sustainability.
FBA Wants Every Bottle Back
Did you know that US landfills comprise over 80% recyclable material, with only 12% of plastic being reused or recycled per year?
The Florida Beverage Association and its members are committed to a cleaner planet for all. That’s why America’s leading beverage companies are working together to reduce our industry’s plastic footprint through the ‘Every Bottle Back’ initiative. ‘Every Bottle Back’ will ensure that our plastic bottles are collected and remade into new bottles, as intended, meaning less new plastic in the environment.
“Many people don’t know that our bottles are carefully designed to be 100% recyclable, including the cap,” explains FBA President and CEO Elizabeth DeWitt. “This initiative supports our ongoing commitment to protect the environment and gets us one step closer to reducing the carbon footprint and creating a more circular economy for recyclables.”
Florida Beverage Association Provides Community Grant to the City of Coral Gables
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. ─ The Florida Beverage Association (FBA) is pleased to announce the City of Coral Gables and Keep Coral Gables Beautiful received the 2022 FBA Community Grant for their “Reverse Vending Machine Recycling Incentive Program.”
Florida Beverage Association Supports Tampa Youth Development Program
Tampa Y.E.S. initiative will receive $25,000 grant made possible by Florida Beverage Association, American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA).
PHOTO: (from left) Tristan Brown of Coca-Cola Beverages Florida (CCBF), Elizabeth DeWitt of Florida Beverage Association, April Taylor (CCBF), Erin Black (CCBF), Travis Warren (CCBF).
Friends of Cape Florida, Inc. is the 2022 FBA Community Grant Recipient
Key Biscayne, Fla. – In partnership with the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (ABFHA), the Florida Beverage Association (FBA) announced that Friends of Cape Florida, Inc. is its 2022 FBA Community Grant recipient.
Holiday Time—a Season Filled with Beverage Options
The Holidays are here!
As you prepare to host your special guests during the season, remember to include tasty beverage choices that will have everyone at your holiday party refreshed.
How Do You Achieve Balance?
When it comes to living a healthy life, balance is key. In addition to work-life balance, balancing what you eat, drink, and do is just as essential. Of course, not everybody requires the same type of food, drink or number of calories.
So, how do you achieve balance? By getting clear about what you’re consuming. Get to know how the Florida Beverage Association, in partnership with the American Beverage Association, is helping to achieve balanced lifestyles by getting clear on calories.
Why Is Balance Important?
How to “Fall” into Healthy Hydration Habits!
Summer is coming to a close and here in Florida, we look forward to the cooler days that will eventually greet us in the coming months.
Along with the excitement of school and the upcoming holidays, parents are faced with packed calendars of events and activities. The transition from more relaxed summer days, to days where we are living by the calendar, can cause us to lose sight of the importance of staying hydrated.
As a working mom, community volunteer, and overall coordinator of chaos, I know first-hand how a day can get away from me and before I know it, hours have gone by without any breaks for hydration.
The heat of summer has a tendency to help us remember to “drink” all day long, so how do we keep that focus as we “fall” back into our routines?
It's Fun to Recycle
Let’s talk trash. Ok, actually, let’s talk how to have less trash. Yes, let’s talk recycling.
We know that there is so much confusion about recycling as a consumer. From what and when to how.
But recycling is an effective way to support our overall environmental initiatives, and there are some facts and fun ideas to keep recycling a part of your everyday life.
So, the first question you are probably asking is, “How do I recycle my plastic beverage bottle?”
This one is easy. The easiest way to recycle a plastic PET beverage bottle is to empty, rinse and put the cap back on. That’s right. Throw the entire bottle, including the cap in your recycling. Our plastic bottles are made to be remade. We are carefully designing them to be 100% recyclable – even the caps. Many consumers do not realize that the cap is recyclable and to leave the cap on the bottle. Why? Because caps can get caught in recycling sorting machines. So, the next time just remember to put the cap back on and then toss it in your bin.
It’s Summertime and Staying Hydrated is Easy!
We have all been waiting for summer to arrive for so many reasons. Whether it is the kids being out of school or taking that vacation you have been dreaming of for the past year, the fact that summer is here is something to celebrate.
But here in Florida, summer also means sunny, hot, and humid days. And aside from applying enough sunscreen, our focus also goes to keeping enough drinks around to keep everyone happy and hydrated.
We know we need to drink water, it’s the obvious choice, but we also all enjoy the “flavors of summer” that include juices, soda, sparkling waters, and all the other liquids that are not only refreshing but sweet. So how do you refresh your palette with a variety of choices while ensuring everyone is not getting too much sugar in a diet of summer sweet treats such as ice cream and more?
Take a walk down your local grocery store beverage aisle and we hope that you will be “sweetly” surprised. The beverage industry has continued its efforts to reduce sugar, offer a wider variety of lower sugar options, and clearly label products. From more assortments of flavored water, to lower sugar and even more no sugar added options, the beverage aisle is filled with a wealth of choices.
It’s Time to Recycle Right
Recycling is an important initiative to support overall sustainability goals. However, we all know that for recycling to be effective, it must be done correctly.
That is just one of the reasons why the Florida Beverage Association recently awarded a $25,000 community grant to the Orange County Public School (OCPS) system. Now in its sixth year, our community grant program has contributed over $250,000 to support programs and organizations across the State that promote Environmental Sustainability and Balanced Lifestyles.
The grant that OCPS received will fund an education campaign to help students more clearly understand how to recycle correctly, which is necessary to the success of the school system's overall sustainability goals.
Keep it Simple—Keep Hydrated!
What’s not to love about the summertime? From beaches to barbeques, from swimming to surfing, from cruisin’ to camping out, summer is the time of year to get out of doors and enjoy the beauty of the natural world.
Let’s Get to Know Each Other
Hello to all our followers of our new blog, Sips of Sunshine.
Each month we are bringing you two blog articles with the goal of helping you know more about our programs at the Florida Beverage Association and how you can participate as well as help you get to know who we are and what we do.
So, I thought it would be the perfect place to start this month by getting to know each other a little more.
I will start the introductions, and then I invite you to post and introduce yourself and your company to our audience through the comments.