Westchester Coca-Cola Plant to Be First-in-Nation Quad-Generation Facility
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
By Ryan Raicht
Liberty Coca-Cola broke ground last week on a state-of-the-art facility that will generate its own heat and electricity and recover carbon dioxide, making it the first plant of its kind in the U.S. to have that capability.
A ceremony was held at Liberty’s Elmsford facility last Thursday with numerous local and state officials, community stakeholders and representatives from the business community in attendance to celebrate the nation’s first quad-generation plant.
“What that basically means is that we’re coming off the grid. We are producing our own electricity, our own coooling, our own power and we will be producing our own carbon dioxide on site,” said Paul Mulligan, co-owner of Liberty Coca-Cola.
The groundbreaking isn’t the first step that Liberty Coca-Cola has taken toward environmental sustainability. The company has been using 100 percent recyclable plastic in their soda bottles.
“We’ve taken 20 percent of the plastic out of our bottles. We took 25 percent of the plastic out of the closure. We’re now using only recycled plastic in our 20-ounce bottles,” Mulligan said. “Beyond selling beverages, and beyond trying to make a profit, we’re passionate about investing in our local communities. We want to be embedded in our local communities and do the right things.”
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) was delighted with the efforts Liberty Coca-Cola has made.
“We are seeing an international brand that we all know very well, but we did not know how much thought they put into sustaining our environment,” Stewart-Cousins said. “We did not know that they want to be the first in the nation that will create a facility like this right here in my district.”
A major step that Liberty has taken as a result of the project is the production of its own carbon dioxide, which they use directly for their products. Liberty also unveiled a change in the way mini cans are packaged, doing away with harmful plastics that make its way into the oceans.
“I don’t want to see another dolphin or another animal in the ocean with plastic rings around its mouth, so we’ve got rid of the plastic rings,” Mulligan said.
State Sen. Peter Harckham (D-Lewisboro), the chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, has been extremely encouraged with Liberty’s sustainability agenda.
“We in government and our partners in industry have to do everything we can,” Harckham said. “So when we come to an event like this, and Liberty Coca-Cola is showing us 100 percent recycled content in their bottles, that is huge. Plastics has become the bane of my existence since I got this job. Capturing CO2 and closing the loop and putting it into their beverages is huge. If more companies were like Liberty Coca-Cola, we would have less work to do.”
Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez raved about New York’s efforts pertaining to climate action, and pushed other states and businesses to follow suit.
“New York is striving to be a leader in climate action… so this groundbreaking serves as an example and as validation and proof of what can happen when partnerships exist between government and the private sector,” Rodriguez said. “Liberty is moving in a way that we hope other companies will recognize is the way forward. We hope that other states will look at us – New York, Liberty, Coca-Cola – as models for protecting and sustaining our environment.”
The Town of Greenburgh granted approvals for the quad-generation facility earlier this year. It is expected to be completed and operating by the end of the year.
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