EKOCYCLE™ Shines a Spotlight on Sustainability at Global Citizen Festival
EKOCYCLE™ Shines a Spotlight on Sustainability at Global Citizen Festival
EKOCYCLE co-founders Coca-Cola and musician will.i.am issue Global Citizen grant and announce a program to increase recycling in 2014
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- This month, EKOCYCLE is celebrating those who strive to make positive social change in the world and enlisting millions to take part in a challenge to recycle. As Official Recycling/Suitability Partner of the 2013 Global Citizen Festival Concert, EKOCYCLE is proud to be a part of the worldwide movement to end extreme poverty.
The concert will feature performances by Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon, Alicia Keys and John Mayer. It is timed to provide world leaders with a clear and compelling mandate to promote social good as they gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In-person attendance combined with online and television viewership of the one-day festival is expected to exceed 15 million.
The Sept. 28 Festival, in partnership with the Cotton On Foundation, is a free-ticketed concert which will take place in New York's Central Park, and is produced by Global Citizen. This education and advocacy organization inspires people to take positive action to benefit social causes dealing with poverty, sustainability, health and more.
Musician will.i.am will serve as a presenter during the concert. He created the EKOCYCLE brand in collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company to educate people about everyday recycling choices and empower their purchasing decisions as part of a social change movement. EKOCYCLE repurposes items like plastic bottles into fashion-forward lifestyle products in partnership with today's biggest trendsetters and brands, including adidas®, Beats by Dr. Dre®, Levi's®, New Era® and RVCA®.
will.i.am will issue a recycling challenge to festival attendees, viewers and visitors to GlobalCitizen.org. He also will announce a $200,000 EKOCYCLE grant that will be awarded to Global Citizen, along with the creation and execution of a national recycling campaign launching in 2014.
"The Global Citizen Festival is a great opportunity to urge millions of people to participate in behavioral change that creates a positive impact in the world," said Beatriz Perez, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, The Coca-Cola Company. "The act of recycling goes far beyond putting your Coke® bottle in a recycling bin. As will.i.am says, 'waste is only waste if you waste it.' And it's true. When you recycle, a bottle can become something entirely new and different. We hope that by delivering that message, we can inspire 15 million people to be more vigilant in their efforts to be more sustainable."
Free tickets to the Festival were earned at www.globalfestival.com where fans took online "action" to earn their admission. After registering to become a Global Citizen, fans chose from a variety of actions to earn points. Watching videos, signing petitions or sending emails to world leaders all help build points balances. Fans then used their earned points to qualify for free tickets to the Festival.
"The initial idea of the Global Citizen Festival was to put pressing world issues on the same stage as musicians, whose messages are naturally amplified. Partnering with brands that have sustainability built into their ethos, like EKOCYCLE, completes the cycle for ultimate outreach for change," said Ryan Gall, Global Citizen Co-Founder and Executive Producer.
In 2012, the Global Citizen Festival became the largest syndicated charity event in online and broadcast TV history. Garnering more than 15 million viewers and 2 billion media impressions, the Festival gained $1.3 billion in new commitments from government and non-governmental organizations.
About will.i.am
A multi-faceted entertainer, creative innovator and philanthropist, will.i.am is best known for his work with The Black Eyed Peas, who have sold 33 million albums and 58 million singles worldwide. will.i.am's new solo cd, #willpower on Interscope Records, was released in April, 2013. The first two singles include worldwide platinum hit "This is Love" featuring Eva Simons, and "Scream & Shout" featuring Britney Spears, which shot to number one on the iTunes single chart and to top three on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. As a producer, will.i.am has worked with some of the music industry's biggest names including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Usher, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, David Guetta and film composer Hans Zimmer. will.i.am is the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two NAACP Image Awards, the BMI President's Award and a 2008 Webby Award. will.i.am's i.am angel foundation (www.iamangelfoundation.org) supports young people through programs focused on education, activities that build STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) skills and college scholarship assistance. The foundation also operates a mortgage relief program and financial literacy workshops.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYS: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 16 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 more than 1.8 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 Journeyat www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at @CocaColaCo or check out our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.
The Coca-Cola Company
Scott Williamson, 404-676-3288
swilliamson@coca-cola.com
KEYWORDS: United States North America Georgia New York
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:
The article EKOCYCLE™ Shines a Spotlight on Sustainability at Global Citizen Festival originally appeared on Fool.com.
Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
