Coca-Cola Recycling Bin Wins Prestigious Design Award

A Coca-Cola recycling bin made from recycled PET recently won a prestigious red dot award. The red dot competition, one of the world's largest and most acclaimed international product design programs, is committed to identifying the trendsetters of tomorrow.

The innovative new bin for recycling aluminum cans and PET bottles was designed to stand out visually, while clearly communicating the benefits of recycling and staying true to the integrity of the Coca-Cola brand. It may seem a basic concept, but the availability of collection bins that are both aesthetically desirable and functional has been a key hurdle to getting people to recycle. We wanted to create a recycling bin that people would feel proud to show off and, as a result, would get greater use.

We partnered with renowned designer to develop the bin using fundamental principles of sustainable design on every aspect -- from the source materials and weight to the way the bin is packaged, shipped and assembled. We wanted to produce the bin using PET to reinforce the connection between our products and recycling. We also wanted to use PET in sheet form to create a one-piece bin that could ship flat and, therefore, reduce transportation and shipping costs.

While the collection of bottles and cans is the first step in realizing our business ambition of 100 percent reuse of the packaging we create, the new recycling bin symbolizes our Company's shifting mindset around sustainability that will be applied across the business. It's about more than Coca-Cola or recycling -- it's about a change in mindset and behavior that needed to come across in all aspects of the design. It's about being responsible, reducing our footprint and engaging people to be civil, thoughtful and careful.

Our Company ordered 300 bins from an Atlanta-based manufacturer to be placed in public spaces at our Atlanta office complex in time for Earth Day (April 22).

The bins also will become part of the Coca-Cola/National Recycling Coalition Bin Grant program, which supports community initiatives by providing public recycling bins to recipients who express a commitment to sustainable recycling. The program, which is open to government agencies, civic organizations, schools, nonprofits and companies, will award its second batch of bins on Earth Day.

About red dot
The 2008 red dot competition drew more than 3,200 entries from 51 countries. The entries were assessed by an international jury of design experts based on criteria such as innovation, functionality, ergonomics, longevity, ecological compatibility and clarity of function.

More Awards:
The recycling bin has also won the following awards:

IF (Industry Forum)
Good Design Award
Spark Design Award
Green Dot Award
ID Magazine Annual Design Review (honorable mention)
IDEA (runner up)