America’s leading beverage companies and sustainability partners announced that the city of Broken Arrow, OK, is the latest locale selected for investment under Every Bottle Back, an initiative to improve the collection and recycling of plastic bottles.

Through the $390,500 investment, Broken Arrow will launch a curbside recycling program and provide 35,000 households with carts and recycling education materials. Currently, Broken Arrow residents do not have curbside recycling, which means valuable recyclables, such as 100% recyclable plastic bottles, are being landfilled. The investment is estimated to enable the collection of 124 million pounds of recyclable materials over 10 years, of which 2.1 million pounds will be aluminum and 5.8 million pounds will be polyethylene terephthalate (PET), both of which are used to make 100% recyclable cans and bottles.

Launched last October by the American Beverage Association (ABA), Every Bottle Back is described as an unprecedented coalition to reduce the beverage industry’s plastic footprint. It brings together the Coca-Cola Co., Keurig Dr Pepper, and PepsiCo with leading environmental and sustainability organizations — the World Wildlife Fund, Closed Loop Partners, and Recycling Partnership. The initiative supports the circular plastics economy by reinforcing to consumers the value of 100% recyclable bottles and ensuring they don’t end up as waste in oceans, rivers, or landfills, said the ABA’s announcement.

“America’s leading beverage companies launched Every Bottle Back last year to assist communities like Broken Arrow in implementing modern recycling programs with technology and infrastructure to ensure more plastic bottles and cans are recovered, recycled, and remade,” said Katherine Lugar, ABA President and CEO. “Our collaborative approach will help our industry reduce its plastic footprint and build a more circular economy to use less new plastic overall. Together we will ensure valuable recyclable materials no longer end up in a landfill or as litter in our communities.”

James McSpadden of the Oklahoma Beverage Association said, “This investment will ensure recyclable materials are properly collected and help local residents understand the importance of recycling properly, which is an important first step in building a circular system for our valuable PET plastic bottles. Making recycling accessible and convenient for consumers is a big win for the city of Broken Arrow and a model for Oklahoma.”

The Every Bottle Back initiative will measure industry progress in reducing the use of new plastic by increasing the amount of plastic that is collected and remade into new bottles. It is also investing in key regions of the United States to improve the quality and availability of recycled plastic and has launched a public awareness campaign to remind consumers that the bottles are 100% recyclable and, if recycled properly, can be remade into new bottles.