Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Partners with DFW Airport to Introduce SmartSort AI-Powered Recycling Bins for Sustainable Travel
Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB), the official Coca-Cola bottler for Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas, has formed a strategic partnership with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to significantly enhance its sustainability initiatives for travelers. This collaboration brings a new era of eco-friendly waste management to one of the busiest airports in the world. Together, DFW and CCSWB have introduced four smart recycling bins equipped with cutting-edge SmartSort Technologies, Inc. These AI-powered bins aim to improve the recycling experience, making it easier for passengers to properly separate recyclables from waste and, in turn, contribute to a cleaner, greener airport environment.
A Smarter Approach to Recycling at DFW Airport
Inside DFW Airport, CCSWB has installed dual-stream recycling bins in both Terminal D and Terminal E. These bins are equipped with separate receptacles for waste and recycling, ensuring that passengers can easily dispose of their items in the right places. Moreover, the DFW Airport Headquarters and the Department of Public Safety each received a triple-stream recycling unit, which includes an additional compost bin, further enhancing the waste separation process. As passengers approach these high-tech bins, they are greeted by a camera that scans the items in their hands. A user-friendly screen then displays clear, step-by-step instructions, guiding travelers to dispose of their items properly.
The integration of SmartSort’s AI-powered technology transforms a typically mundane and often confusing task—recycling—into a seamless, intuitive process. This not only simplifies waste disposal but also encourages better recycling practices, particularly in a high-traffic, transient environment like an airport. The units’ cameras and screens provide immediate feedback, ensuring that users understand which items can be recycled, which should be composted, and which are destined for the trash.
Advancing Sustainability with SmartSort Technology
SmartSort Technologies has been a pioneer in developing AI-driven recycling solutions that aim to revolutionize out-of-home recycling across various sectors. With a focus on optimizing waste stream efficiency, facilitating source separation, and collecting valuable data for performance monitoring, SmartSort is leading the charge toward more sustainable waste management practices. The introduction of these intelligent bins at DFW Airport is part of a broader initiative to make the airport’s waste management system more effective, user-friendly, and transparent.
Robert Horton, DFW’s Vice President of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, emphasized the significance of the initiative in the airport’s broader sustainability efforts. “The introduction of AI-powered recycling bins enhances the traveler experience and reinforces our commitment to creating a more sustainable airport through innovation and technology,” Horton said. “Incremental steps like this can help build better traveler habits that reduce waste, increase recycling, and engage our customers in new and exciting ways. It’s a win-win for the airport and for the environment.”
The bins also offer a deeper layer of accountability. Each unit is equipped with sensors that track the types and quantities of materials recycled. Over time, this data provides valuable insights into the airport’s waste diversion efforts, allowing for better tracking, more accurate reporting, and a greater understanding of the overall impact of the recycling program.
Long-Term Impact: Creating a Culture of Sustainability
While the installation of the SmartSort bins represents a significant step forward, the broader goal is to foster a long-term culture of sustainability at DFW Airport. Abraham Tueme, Director of Sustainability at Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, highlighted the importance of this collaboration in driving meaningful change. “It takes time to create lasting impact, and our focus is on introducing long-term solutions that truly make a difference in reducing waste and promoting sustainability,” Tueme explained. “By installing SmartSort units at DFW Airport, we are advancing recycling efforts in a way that benefits both travelers and the local community. This partnership helps us make progress in creating a more sustainable environment for everyone who visits the airport.”
In addition to providing immediate feedback to users, the SmartSort bins contribute to a larger environmental strategy by providing essential data on the airport’s recycling performance. Over time, the system will help DFW Airport better understand its waste streams, measure success, and adjust strategies to ensure continuous improvement in its sustainability efforts.
A Proven Track Record in Recycling Innovation
The collaboration between Coca-Cola and DFW Airport is not the first time the company has deployed SmartSort technology to promote sustainability. In 2023, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages installed 12 SmartSort units at the American Airlines Center during the NCAA Women’s Final Four Tournament. The success of this initial deployment led to the expansion of the initiative, with nine more units being installed in various locations, bringing the total number of SmartSort bins to 21 across the area.
The success of these previous installations demonstrates the effectiveness of AI-powered recycling solutions in high-traffic, public spaces. The Coca-Cola ease of use and real-time feedback offered by the bins have made it easier for event-goers and visitors to engage in responsible waste disposal, furthering the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
SmartSort Technology: An Overview
SmartSort Technologies specializes in developing innovative solutions for waste management that incorporate artificial intelligence, data aggregation, and machine learning to optimize recycling processes. By equipping recycling bins with AI-powered cameras and sensors, SmartSort ensures that users are provided with real-time guidance on proper disposal, improving the accuracy and efficiency of waste separation.
The company’s technology is designed to address some of the most persistent challenges in out-of-home recycling, including contamination of recyclable materials and a lack of user understanding about how to separate waste. With Coca-Cola SmartSort, individuals receive immediate visual feedback, encouraging them to recycle more effectively and reduce contamination, which is a common issue in traditional recycling programs.
The Environmental and Community Impact
The installation of SmartSort units at DFW Airport is not just a technical upgrade; it represents a significant environmental initiative that aligns with both CCSWB and DFW Airport’s sustainability goals. By promoting better recycling practices among travelers, the program contributes to the reduction of waste sent to landfills, supports the circular economy, and helps minimize the airport’s carbon footprint. With millions of passengers passing through DFW Airport annually, the impact of these efforts could be substantial in terms of waste diversion and sustainability.
Moreover, the partnership highlights the growing trend of collaboration between the private and public sectors to tackle global environmental challenges. Airports, as major hubs of activity, have a unique opportunity to influence the behavior of travelers from around the world. By implementing innovative, AI-powered solutions, DFW Airport and CCSWB are setting an example for other airports and public spaces to follow in adopting sustainable practices.
A Collaborative Effort Toward a Greener Future
The partnership between Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport serves as an example of how two entities can come together to create lasting, meaningful change in the field of sustainability. By introducing SmartSort AI-powered recycling bins, both organizations are demonstrating a shared commitment to making a difference—one that benefits travelers, the local community, and the planet.
As sustainability continues to be a key focus for both businesses and consumers, this collaboration represents a forward-thinking approach to waste management. It reflects the growing understanding that individual actions, when supported by intelligent technologies, can have a significant cumulative impact on the environment.
In the coming months and years, it will be exciting to see how this partnership evolves and how other airports and public spaces adopt similar technologies to promote sustainability and create a cleaner, more eco-friendly future for all.
About Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages
Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB), a company of Arca Continental, is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the United States. Based in Dallas, CCSWB is responsible for producing, marketing, and distributing Coca-Cola products throughout Texas and parts of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas. The company employs more than 9,000 associates and operates seven production plants and 37 distribution facilities, serving over 31 million consumers. With a long history of sustainability initiatives, CCSWB continues to make significant investments in environmentally responsible technologies and solutions.
Arca Continental, headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world, with operations in several countries across North and South America. Arca Continental also produces and markets a variety of snack products, including Wise in the U.S., Bokados in Mexico, and Inalecsa in Ecuador. For more information about Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages and its sustainability efforts, visit www.cocacolaswb.com.
About Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is one of the busiest airports in the world, serving millions of passengers each year. As part of its ongoing sustainability efforts, DFW Airport has implemented numerous initiatives to reduce its environmental impact, promote energy efficiency, and support waste diversion. With a focus on innovation and technology, DFW continues to lead the way in sustainability within the aviation industry. For more information about DFW’s sustainability initiatives, visit www.dfwairport.com.
