Kum & Go Joins PepsiCo’s Dream Machine Recycling Initiative

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Kum & Go will live the dream with PepsiCo's Dream Machine recycling initiative this year when the computerized recycling kiosks are placed in seven of its Colorado stores. The machines will appear at Kum & Go locations in Yampa, Conifer, Granby, Rangely, Idaho Springs, Kremmling and Leadville.

PepsiCo partnered with Waste Management to create the Dream Machine computerized receptacles, which include a Greenopolis-powered personal reward system. Individuals earn points for each bottle or can they recycle and exchange them for local discounts on entertainment, travel and dining at www.greenopolis.com.

Additionally, the more items recycled, the more support PepsiCo provides for the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), a national program offering free experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 U.S. veterans with disabilities.

"Being a responsible retailer is important to Kum & Go and our customers," Adam Hammes, manager of sustainability at Kum & Go, said in a company news release. "The PepsiCo Dream Machine program is another way we are being environmental stewards in the communities we serve."

Approximately 4,000 Dream Machines have been placed in 40 states thus far. The program's goal is to help increase the U.S. beverage container recycling rate to 50 percent by 2018, according to the announcement.

"Experience tells us that people are much more likely to recycle if it's convenient and they are rewarded for doing so," said Paul Wolff, operations manager at Greenopolis. "We look forward to working with Kum & Go to enable a recycling experience that is fun and rewarding on many levels."