MERCER ISLAND, WA -- Corporations spend in excess of $3 Billion per year on advertising for beverages in the US. Some of the most popular brands are currently determining the carbon footprints of their products. This generally includes the product packaging, distribution and end of life (disposal or recycling).

But how much of a carbon footprint might be hiding in the long shadow of those billions of dollars spent on bottled beverage advertising each year? The carbon footprint of the advertising, in-store displays and promotion needs to be accounted for as well and is almost always missing in the calculation.

If the carbon footprint of a bottled beverage product, including its packaging, its distribution, its use and its end of life are worth knowing, why stop there?

DON CARLI, SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNICATIONS

“ISC believes it is essential that brands include the advertising & promotional media impacts into their accounting for the carbon footprint of heavily advertised consumer products.

“With the Carbon Cap and Trade legislation called for by President Obama being debated in congress and in the media, there is little wonder that more and more marketers have begun to talk about the carbon footprint of their products, and the sustainability of their packaging. PepsiCo recently announced that a 64 oz container of Tropicana Orange Juice has a life-cycle carbon footprint of 1.7 kilograms of CO2. Coca Cola announced that a 330ml can of ‘Coca-Cola’ sold in Great Britain has a carbon footprint 170 grams of CO2, and Sapporo Beer estimates that 350-milliliter cans of its mainstay Black Label beer represent 161 grams of carbon emission.

“These are important steps in the right direction, but bottled beverage brands that seek the consideration and loyalty of an increasingly climate aware population of conscious consumers should follow the lead of brands like Timberland and document the carbon footprint of their advertising as well. It’s one of the reasons The Green Media Conference was created – to help companies understand the lifecycle and supply chains that contribute to both digital and print media in all of its forms. There are many tools available now for them to consider in this process.”

Don Carli is Conference Chair of The Green Media Conferences and The Business of Green Media Conference, the only events focused on the sustainability of media. SustainCommWorld produces these conferences and related workshops. Upcoming events include The Green Media Conference Road Trip, two one-day conferences taking place June 9 in Washington, DC and June 23 in Chicago.  For more details visit: http://www.greenmediaconference.com/

Mr. Carli is a leading expert on sustainable media with over 10 years experience in this area and 25 years in the graphic arts industry. To hear more of Mr. Carli’s thoughts:
1. View his interview of January 6 on the Advertising Age 3 Minute Video website. http://adage.com/video/article?article_id=133577
2. His recent article “Which is More Sustainable: Print or Digital Media” in Printing News http://www.printingnews.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=3&id=9101&pageNum=2
3. He was recently interviewed this month in MetaPrinter
http://www.metaprinter.com/2009/03/news-media-innovation-convergence-and-sustainability-interview-with-don-carli/