In line with Swire Coca-Cola’s core belief in nourishing the communities
in which it operates, Swire has partnered with several organizations to
make a significant environmental impact. The Draper, Utah and Eastern
Idaho communities have seen strong results on their recent projects
focused on energy conservation and renewable resources.
“We are pleased to announce the progress we have made to protect the
environment, and give back to nature the amount of water we use in our
operations. It truly is amazing what we can accomplish when we work
together,” said Jack Pelo, President and CEO of Swire Coca-Cola.
Through focused efforts to implement sustainable business practices at
Swire Coca-Cola’s headquarters and distribution center, the
585,000-square-foot Draper building was awarded the Silver LEED®
certification. According to the U.S. Green Building Council®, “LEED
certification is an official recognition that a project complies with
the requirements prescribed within the LEED rating systems as created
and maintained by the U.S. Green Building Council.”
To aid in the safe return of water to communities, Swire Coca-Cola
partnered with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Trout Unlimited
and The Nature Conservancy to support three crucial restoration
projects. The first, located in Utah’s Chalk Creek watershed, was
completed in June of 2013. It removed a fish migration barrier, opened
up approximately 23 miles of stream habitat and helped conserve water by
upgrading an irrigation system for a local rancher. This collaborative
effort will restore stream flows of up to 11 million liters to the lower
quarter-mile of the South Fork of Chalk Creek.
Located in Swire Coca-Cola’s territory, a second project, on the upper
Bear River, will ensure safe passage for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and
restore several miles of river and riparian habitat, providing stream
flows during a critical time of the year. Funded partly by The Coca-Cola
Company, modernized irrigation diversions and fish screens will protect
thousands of juvenile Bonneville Cutthroat Trout that would previously
have been trapped in canals. This major project will restore up to 3.86
billion liters of water to the river annually.
At Jesse Creek, located in the source watershed for Swire’s Fruitland,
ID plant, Swire has supported a project led by The Nature Conservancy
that reconnects natural stream flow to a section of the creek that has
been dewatered for decades. Rejuvenated water flow should allow up to 1
billion liters to pass through the previously dewatered section of the
creek. Currently underway, this project will balance the amount of water
used in the Fruitland, ID plant with an equal amount of water flowing
through the newly restored Jesse Creek channel. This creates a unique
opportunity for Swire to reconnect water flow to a dewatered ecosystem
and support environmental restoration activities. The project will be
completed in the fall of 2014.
“These remarkable projects demonstrate to landowners, water rights
holders and other stakeholders that NGOs and irrigators can work
together to produce win-win results. The projects will restore in-stream
flows, help native fish populations and improve irrigation systems to
benefit ranchers and rural economies,” said Todd Reeve, CEO of the
Bonneville Environmental Foundation.
Swire Coca-Cola is taking big strides to safely return to nature an
amount of water equivalent to what the company uses in the production
and bottling of its beverages.
About Swire Coca-Cola
Swire Coca-Cola, USA is the third largest independent bottler in the
United States with sales reaching $500 million per year. Swire has two
production facilities, one in Salt Lake City and one in Fruitland,
Idaho. Swire produces and distributes Coca-Cola products, Minute Maid,
Dasani, POWERADE, vitaminwater, Monster, and Dr. Pepper. Swire has 26
sales centers throughout the western U.S. and employs more than 1,800
people. Swire Coca-Cola’s 11 state franchise territories extend from
Washington in the North to Arizona in the South, and California in the
West, to Nebraska in the East.
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, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable
brands, 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 twitter.com/CocaColaCo,
visit our blog, Coca-Cola
Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com
or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.
Copyright Business Wire 2013