Coca-Cola Gives $400K for University Packaging Center

Published February 02, 2009

The Coca-Cola Company has made the initial contribution to help the Michigan State University (MSU) set up a new packaging research center.

Coca-Cola's $400,000 gift goes towards the proposed Center for Packaging Innovation and Sustainability, which will be a part of MSU's School of Packaging at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The center will act as a think tank on packaging, offering both collaborative, non-proprietary research and proprietary work, which can be conducted in partnership with or independent of MSU researchers. The center will involve MSU's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Engineering and the Eli Broad College of Business.

“The center will offer an entry point for industry to have easy access to MSU expertise. It will serve as a bridge between corporate and packaging industry professionals and university scientists in engineering, packaging, business, the environment and other areas,” said Satish Udpa, dean of the MSU College of Engineering. “The center will be a clearinghouse that disseminates information and encourages action that speeds the adoption and implementation of sustainable practices.”

cola's sweetners

Anonymous, February 11, 2009 - 17:48

your right, the US cola is sweetened with corn syrup. Other countries may use cane sugar.

Still, pretty questionable product at this point.

most of coca-cola´s sweeteners come from corn syrup

Anonymous, February 9, 2009 - 12:57

as does most sweeterners as they are cheaper that sugar. still does environmental damage though.

Coca Cola is now an environmentalist company?

Anonymous, February 4, 2009 - 05:54

Perhaps Coca Cola is making these donations to take our eye off the ball.

Sugar production in this country is very environmentally damaging.

How much of Coca Cola's sugar, for instance, is being sourced from companies that are damaging the Everglades?

I really think Coca Cola would have to convince us that their supply chain management is environmentally sensitive.

We won't even get into the ethical considerations of a company that injects caffeine into their drinks in order to get people hooked - or the extremely damaging effect of sugar on people's health.

Coca Cola's offshore activities are even more suspect.

Other than all that, it's all greenwash, my friends.

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Coca-Cola Gives $400K for University Packaging Center

cola's sweetners

most of coca-cola´s sweeteners come from corn syrup

Coca Cola is now an environmentalist company?

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Coca-Cola Gives $400K for University Packaging Center

cola's sweetners

most of coca-cola´s sweeteners come from corn syrup

Coca Cola is now an environmentalist company?

Register for GreenBiz Events