This month, EKOCYCLE is celebrating those who strive to make positive
social change in the world and enlisting millions to take part in a
challenge to recycle. As Official Recycling/Suitability Partner of the
2013 Global Citizen Festival Concert, EKOCYCLE is proud to be a part of
the worldwide movement to end extreme poverty.
The concert will feature performances by Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon,
Alicia Keys and John Mayer. It is timed to provide world leaders with a
clear and compelling mandate to promote social good as they gather at
the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In-person attendance
combined with online and television viewership of the one-day festival
is expected to exceed 15 million.
The Sept. 28 Festival, in partnership with the Cotton On Foundation, is
a free-ticketed concert which will take place in New York’s Central
Park, and is produced by Global Citizen. This education and advocacy
organization inspires people to take positive action to benefit social
causes dealing with poverty, sustainability, health and more.
Musician will.i.am will serve as a presenter during the concert. He
created the EKOCYCLE brand in collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company
to educate people about everyday recycling choices and empower their
purchasing decisions as part of a social change movement. EKOCYCLE
repurposes items like plastic bottles into fashion-forward lifestyle
products in partnership with today’s biggest trendsetters and brands,
including adidas®, Beats by Dr. Dre®, Levi’s®,
New Era® and RVCA®.
will.i.am will issue a recycling challenge to festival attendees,
viewers and visitors to GlobalCitizen.org. He also will announce a
$200,000 EKOCYCLE grant that will be awarded to Global Citizen, along
with the creation and execution of a national recycling campaign
launching in 2014.
“The Global Citizen Festival is a great opportunity to urge millions of
people to participate in behavioral change that creates a positive
impact in the world,” said Beatriz Perez, Vice President and Chief
Sustainability Officer, The Coca-Cola Company. “The act of recycling
goes far beyond putting your Coke® bottle in a recycling bin.
As will.i.am says, ‘waste is only waste if you waste it.’ And it’s true.
When you recycle, a bottle can become something entirely new and
different. We hope that by delivering that message, we can inspire 15
million people to be more vigilant in their efforts to be more
sustainable.”
Free tickets to the Festival were earned at www.globalfestival.com
where fans took online "action" to earn their admission. After
registering to become a Global Citizen, fans chose from a variety of
actions to earn points. Watching videos, signing petitions or sending
emails to world leaders all help build points balances. Fans then used
their earned points to qualify for free tickets to the Festival.
“The initial idea of the Global Citizen Festival was to put pressing
world issues on the same stage as musicians, whose messages are
naturally amplified. Partnering with brands that have sustainability
built into their ethos, like EKOCYCLE, completes the cycle for ultimate
outreach for change,” said Ryan Gall, Global Citizen Co-Founder and
Executive Producer.
In 2012, the Global Citizen Festival became the largest syndicated
charity event in online and broadcast TV history. Garnering more than 15
million viewers and 2 billion media impressions, the Festival gained
$1.3 billion in new commitments from government and non-governmental
organizations.
About will.i.am
A multi-faceted entertainer, creative innovator and philanthropist,
will.i.am is best known for his work with The Black Eyed Peas, who have
sold 33 million albums and 58 million singles worldwide. will.i.am’s new
solo cd, #willpower on Interscope Records, was released in April, 2013.
The first two singles include worldwide platinum hit “This is Love”
featuring Eva Simons, and “Scream & Shout” featuring Britney Spears,
which shot to number one on the iTunes single chart and to top three on
Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. As a producer, will.i.am has worked with some
of the music industry’s biggest names including Michael Jackson,
Rihanna, Usher, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, David Guetta
and film composer Hans Zimmer. will.i.am is the recipient of multiple
Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two NAACP Image
Awards, the BMI President’s Award and a 2008 Webby Award. will.i.am's
i.am angel foundation (www.iamangelfoundation.org)
supports young people through programs focused on education, activities
that build STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math)
skills and college scholarship assistance. The foundation also operates
a mortgage relief program and financial literacy workshops.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage
company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still
brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's
portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta,
Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply,
Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling
beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through
the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than
200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion
servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable
communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our
environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe,
inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic
development of the communities where we operate. Together with our
bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers
with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit
Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com,
follow us on Twitter at @CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola
Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2013