Coca-Cola System in Mexico, leader in food-grade PET recycling

- With an investment of more than $100 million dollars and a recycling capacity of 65,000 tons of PET each year, PetStar has become the largest food-grade PET bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in the world.
- The Coca-Cola System in Mexico advances on its global goal to incorporate larger amount of recycled materials in its packages. In Mexico, elaborates millions of bottles with 100% recycled PET.
- PetStar generates 1,100 direct jobs and 24,000 indirect jobs.
- Coca Cola’s bottling partners in PetStar will recycle 70% of the PET bottles used in their markets

Toluca, Estado de México, July 16, 2014.- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto today inaugurated PetStar, the largest food-grade PET recycling plant in the world, where the Coca-Cola System in Mexico, comprised of Arca Continental, Coca-Cola Mexico and other bottling partners, invested more than $100 million dollars and which will have the capacity to process up to 65,000 tons of PET bottles, doubling its previous capacity.

Alfonso Navarrete Prida, Minister of Labor; Eruviel Ávila, Governor of the State Estado de México; Martha Hilda González Calderón, Mayor of Toluca; Ahmet Bozer, President Coca-Cola International; Francisco Crespo, President Coca-Cola Mexico; Manuel L. Barragán Morales, President of the Board Arca Continental, and Francisco Garza Egloff, General Director Arca Continental, attended the inauguration ceremony of the extension of the PetStar food-grade PET recycling plant.

With this plant, the Coca-Cola System in Mexico becomes leader in food-grade recycling in Latin America.

Thanks to the use of top of the line technology, PetStar operations allows its bottling partners –Arca Continental, Bepensa, Grupo RICA, Corporación del Fuerte, Embotelladora de Colima and Embotelladora del Nayar- to advance in the achievement of global sustainability goals set by The Coca-Cola Company, and incorporate up to 100% of recycled material in millions of their PET packages, as well as being able to recycle up to 70% of PET bottles used in their markets.

“This important project is part of Coca-Cola’s commitment to the integral wellbeing of communities through the elaboration of environmentally friendly packages,” said Francisco Crespo, President of Coca-Cola Mexico. “Thanks to PetStar, we are contributing to our global goal to incorporate recycled material in all our packages, and today, millions of them have up to 100%,”, he stated.

Francisco Garza Egloff, General Director Arca Continental, affirmed that these type of efforts confirm the Mexican Industry of Coca-Cola’s commitment with the integral development of the country and the preservation of its environment.

“Sustainability is part of our long term business strategy because we want to leave a positive mark in communities, as well as participate actively in the integral development of the society. Apart from making an important environment, social and economic impact, PetStar includes a cultural and educational project, since we are trying to become agents of change in todays and future generations,” said Garza Egloff.

PetStar uses the most modern technology in the world to process and deliver a food-grade PET resin with added value. Each step of the process is designed to guaranty the safety of the final product. Its quality is permanently monitored by an on-site laboratory, under the most strict international safety standards. PetStar today is the largest food-grade PET recycling plant in the world.

PetStar also features a Museum-Auditorium, which will offer guided tours to promote environmental education and a recycling culture, as well as encouraging the concept of shared responsibility between society, authorities and companies. This space is environmentally friendly, has its own water harvesting and treatment water systems, solar panels, green roof, among others elements, and is in process of LEED certification as a sustainable building.

Desde hace más de 4 décadas, el Sistema Coca-Cola ha apoyado a la industria del reciclaje. Gracias a ello, hoy milFor more than 4 decades, the Coca-Cola System has been supporting the recycling industry and that is why today, millions of its PET bottles are made with up to 100% of recycled material. For its aluminum and glass packages, the Coca-Cola System has managed to have up to 60% and 40% respectively of recycled material. The PetStar plant is a clear demonstration of the Coca-Cola System’s commitment to the environment in Mexico and in the world, an important contributor to the economic and technological development of the country and an excellent effort of shared responsibility with the authorities and the society in search of a better environment for future generations.

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 17 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 1.9 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

About PetStar, S.A.P.I. de C.V.

Mexican Company founded in 2006 and recently acquired by the System of Coca-Cola Bottlers, headed by Arca Continental and where The Coca-Cola Company also participates, along with Beverage Peninsular, del Fuerte Corporation, RICA Corporation, Nayar Bottling Company and Colima Bottling. PetStar stands as a unique business model in the world to carry out in an efficient, timely and effective manner the process of recycling PET containers into Recycled Food Grade PET Resin, for the benefit of the population, the environment, collectors and the industry itself.

About Arca Continental Arca Continental produces, distributes and sells non-alcoholic beverages under The Coca-Cola Company brand, as well as snacks under the brands of Bokados in Mexico, Inalecsa in Ecuador and Wise in the U.S. With an outstanding history spanning more than 85 years, Arca Continental is the second-largest Coca–Cola bottler in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. Within its Coca-Cola franchise territory, the Company serves over 53 million consumers in Northern and Western Mexico, Ecuador and Northern Argentina. The Company’s shares trade on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “AC”. For more information, visit www.arcacontal.com