NASHVILLE, Tenn., Mar 24, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Recycle and Win, a sustainability initiative designed by Coca-Cola to promote municipal recycling programs, is coming to Metro Nashville at the beginning of April. Coca-Cola Consolidated, Kroger, Metro Public Works, and the Metro Beautification and Environment have joined forces to award Nashville residents a $50 Kroger gift card if they are "caught" recycling the right way.

Recycle and Win kicks off at the beginning of April, and runs for six months. Single-family households in Metro's Urban Services District (USD) will soon receive an educational mailer with images highlighting which materials SHOULD go in their green Curby recycling bins. The mailer also contains a "Give it Back" sticker, which residents must place on their bin for a chance to win a $50 Kroger gift card.

"Recycling is an important part of our goal to make Nashville a cleaner and greener city, and increasing the recycling participation rate is one of the recommendations of our Green Ribbon Committee to build more sustainable communities throughout Metro," Mayor Karl Dean said. "Knowing what to recycle and how is an easy and convenient way for every citizen to help preserve our neighborhoods and protect the environment, and I want to thank Coca-Cola and Kroger for helping spread this important message to our community."

"Coca-Cola is proud to expand this initiative in a great city like Nashville," said Lauren Steele, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated. "We want to make recycling a rewarding experience, and what better way to encourage people to recycle than by giving them an opportunity to be a winner! This fits well with the Coca-Cola Live Positively platform." Steele, a long-time proponent of recycling, says Recycle and Win will help educate new residents and remind the current recyclers of the Metro Nashville recycling program how to recycle properly.

"Kroger is pleased to partner with Coca Cola and the City of Nashville to promote recycling," said Melissa Eads, Kroger community affairs manager. "We are doing many things to encourage "green living" in the communities where our stores are located; our hope is that programs like Recycle and Win will encourage more folks to recycle on a daily basis and live green."

A specially designed Coca-Cola Prize Patrol Vehicle will begin visiting USD neighborhoods starting the first Monday in April checking the contents of green Curby carts to see if residents have included the appropriate recyclables accepted in Metro's curbside program. The prize patrol plans to award ten (10) $50 Kroger Gift Cards per week for a total of 260 prizes until the program ends in September.

Voluntary curbside recycling is available to the approximately 125,000 households in the USD who also receive Metro trash collection service. In an effort to make recycling convenient for residents in the General Services District, Public Works provides a network of recycle drop-off sites throughout Davidson County.

To give non-USD residents a chance to participate in the contest, 40 more $50 Kroger Gift Cards will be awarded at Recycle & Win events planned on Saturdays at Metro's Community Recycle Drop-offs. Each Saturday event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the dates and locations can be found at www.nashville.gov/recycle. Use this same site to find complete details about what items and materials are accepted in Metro's recycling program.

For more information, residents can call Metro Nashville at 615-880-1000, or use the Public Work online customer service request form available at the following link: http://www.nashville.gov/pw/talktous/default.aspx .

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated is the second largest Coca-Cola Bottler in the United States. The Company is a leader in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of soft drinks.

Kroger is the one of the nation's largest retail grocery chains. The company operates 62 stores in Middle Tennessee. The company's key focus areas of giving include Women's Health initiatives, feeding the hungry, K-12 education, and other grass roots community efforts.

-Recycle and Win-

SOURCE: Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated

Metro Nashville
615-880-1000