In communities nationwide, Americans place their trust in our iconic industry to deliver, and to make a difference in our environmental, health and economic well-being. Our beverage companies, employees and neighbors share the same sense of urgency on the need for progress on tough issues to help towns and cities develop and thrive. Our experience has shown we can drive solutions to these challenges through the power of consistent, unified leadership and strong partnerships.

To achieve a truly circular economy for plastics and more sustainable communities, we must work together and across sectors to revitalize our recycling infrastructure and educate consumers about how best to recycle. Innovative public-private partnerships like our industry’s Every Bottle Back initiative ensure policymakers and consumers alike know we’re working tirelessly to get all of our 100% recyclable bottles back so they can be remade into new bottles. As part of that, we launched in early 2021 our most successful public education campaign to date, letting Americans know that our plastic bottles are fully recyclable and are not single use.

We’re especially proud of spearheading the Recycling Infrastructure Now coalition, which was successful in getting necessary funding for critical recycling upgrades and education included in the federal bipartisan infrastructure package. In states across the country, we are urging the adoption of strong producer responsibility programs to build more efficient, closed loop recycling. We believe our strong leadership role, along with our nearly half-a-billion dollar Every Bottle Back investment to modernize recycling access, education and infrastructure, will help lay the foundation for a more environmentally sustainable future for generations to come.

America’s leading beverage companies remain committed to building healthier communities by helping families find balance in their diets. We’re supporting consumer choice by innovating more beverage choices with less sugar and in smaller portions—nearly 60% of beverages sold today have zero sugar. And an independent evaluation shows consumers are taking full advantage of this dramatic change in the beverage aisle, with calories per person nationally down 10% since 2014, halfway to achieving our calorie reduction goal.

Thanks in large part to our ongoing engagement with lawmakers as well as community and business organizations, we have moved the needle in public policy, giving voice to working families and small business owners in opposing beverage taxes and excessive regulations. New federal policies our coalitions advocated for, such as job creation and stable aluminum pricing, will benefit American workers, companies and trading partners for a more vibrant overall economy. Our guidance on the complex regulatory landscape and workplace safety issues also has proven invaluable in these challenging times.

Day in and day out our industry remains here for our neighbors—to deliver essential goods, recover from natural disasters, support charitable causes and cope with pandemic impacts. We are proud of our historic role in the fabric of America and the passion shown by our companies and their employees in supporting their neighbors across the country. It’s what our industry has always done—and will continue to do.

We are grateful to all our beverage industry employees for continuing to meet the needs of our consumers during this past year. We thank the ABA Board, officers and membership for your unwavering willingness to lead and your shining example of what can be achieved through teamwork.

We look forward to building on our industry’s legacy, by continuing to be “all in” on driving forward a healthy, more sustainable and economically strong world for today’s generation and those to come.

All the best,