A growing number of food & beverage companies in the U.S have started to support the costs of recycling the waste they produce. Following the model of several European companies, they have adopted what is known as “extended producer responsibility”.

However, according to Jim Hanna, director of environmental impact at Starbuck’s Corporation, this hasn’t been a decision companies took on their own. They have been pressured by the local government, which due to the lack of recycling funds, needed to share the costs. Luckily, this change benefits both the companies and the environment. Making aluminum cans from recycled ones is much cheaper than making new cans from scratch. The same principle applies to plastic bottles as well. In China, they have found a way to transform such bottles into textile fibers.

Until now, it was not compulsory for companies to take such drastic recycling measures. In many states it is advised to take responsibility for the products you produce, but so far, Maine is the only one with a new law that might impose sharing costs of discarded packaging. On the other hand, there are many who don’t agree with this movement. Meghan Stasz, the director of sustainability at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents several chains on food & beverage companies, says that she’s not convinced the solution is the best one for the U.S.

Nevertheless, most companies have joined this eco-friendly program. One of the best examples is Coca-Cola. It even has a special subsidiary, named Coca-Cola Recycling L.L.C., which aims to recycle all cans and bottles from North America and they aim to reach a percentage of 100% by 2015, and 50% in the rest of the world. Moreover, the company is in process of creating a new type of bottle, which will not contain any petroleum-based materials and will be up to 30% made from plants.

Also, they have placed bins at the most important events and locations, such as NASCAR, to encourage people to recycle. This idea has resulted in a true trend among food and beverage companies. Starbucks has almost immediately followed its example and now has bins all over the United States. The coffee company has decided to preserve and has started to turn used cups into napkins. According to Mr. Hanna, the decision proved rather efficient because it had lowered costs and strengthened their reputation.

Furthermore, another company that had countless benefits from recycling is Stonyfield Farm, a yogurt manufacturer. They have replaced old packages with glass bottles, and as it turns out, their products have been much well received on the market this way. Also, a survey showed that customers are more likely to recycle used glass cups. Therefore, last year 11 million yogurt cups were collected by the company, and are ready to be re-used.

Finally, these are just a few examples of international

food and beverage companies that have decided to recycle for the sake of a cleaner world. All of us, individually, should start do the same if we want to enjoy the benefits of a healthier planet.