BUFFALO, N.Y.—Delaware North, a global hospitality and entertainment company with operations at several U.S. national parks, announced it is expanding deployment of the CIRQU Powered by PepsiCo recycling program, as well as other sustainability initiatives.
Delaware North launched CIRQU in its lodging, retail and food and beverage operations at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia in 2022. This year, the company plans to deploy the program at select other national park operations.
The CIRQU program provides retailers with giant “super sacks” for temporary storage of aluminum cans and recyclable plastic #1 PET bottles for pickup, so the material can be recycled and remade into new recyclable products. PepsiCo partner Replenysh provides an app with a digital dashboard to track results, trace recycled material and schedule free pickups.
“The CIRQU program from PepsiCo gives Delaware North a way to fulfill our sustainability commitments at remote and other locations where options for recycled material are limited or non-existent,” said Debbie Friedel, Director of Sustainability for Delaware North. “We are excited to partner with PepsiCo on expanding our use of the program and several other sustainability initiatives thanks to our valuable partnership.”
Long-Time Partnership with PepsiCo
Delaware North has worked closely with PepsiCo since 2009, when the hospitality company named PepsiCo as a preferred partner of fountain drinks and packaged food and beverage products for its U.S. operations. Delaware North serves PepsiCo products at most of its nearly 200 operating locations, including sports venues, airports, national and state parks, restaurants, resorts, hotels, and casinos.
“The CIRQU program is a manifestation of PepsiCo’s vision, one that we share with Delaware North: a world where packaging never becomes waste,” said Hugh Roth, Chief Customer and Business Development Officer of PepsiCo Global Foodservice. “Sharing values is key to any meaningful partnership, and it’s a major reason why we’re able to effectively support Delaware North on their sustainability journey with programs that ensure valuable materials used in packaging are recycled and reused. Together, we’re driving toward a more circular economy.”
In addition to the CIRQU program, Delaware North is leveraging its PepsiCo partnership for these sustainability initiatives:
- Adding two collection bins and a scale to measure recyclables in support of Delaware North’s zero-waste warehouse at Yellowstone National Park and pickups by the local recycling company. The bear-proof, three-compartment bins will be deployed to the Mammoth and Old Faithful general stores. Delaware North operates 11 general stores in the park for the National Park Service.
- Adding two new recycling trailers—one each for Delaware North’s operations at Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Kalaloch Lodge at Olympic National Park—for storing and then hauling recyclable material to regional recycling facilities.
- Adding a data-collection platform to aid in tracking and assessing Delaware North’s environmental initiatives.
- Expanding SodaStream Professional Water System at Delaware North’s Tenaya at Yosemite resort and other select locations to reduce the sale of single-use water bottles. After a successful test in 2022 at Delaware North’s The Ridgeline Hotel Estes Park in Colorado, guests now have access to a premium version of the bottle fill station with both still and sparkling water and delicious flavors.
