Far Coast(R) creates furniture using B.C. blue pine and brings a sustainable
first to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Furniture designed locally and made out of reclaimed pine

Compostable hot beverage packaging the first-ever at the Olympic Games

VANCOUVER , Feb. 1 /CNW/ - Far Coast(R), the Official Brewed Beverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, today announced the steps it is taking to ensure each coffee is served in an environmentally friendly way. Far Coast will be served at all Olympic Winter Games venues throughout the lower mainland, serving freshly brewed coffee, tea and cocoa beverages to athletes and visitors alike and providing a comfortable oasis to those seeking a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Olympic Winter Games activities.

The Far Coast installations in the athletes' villages will feature outdoor tables and chairs that have been based on designs by students from the Emily Carr University of Art + Design and manufactured locally by the University of British Columbia's Center for Advanced Wood Processing using blue pine. The trees used to produce this furniture were harvested after being destroyed by the Mountain Pine Beetle as a result of global warming. The Blue Pine Furniture Partnership will leave a legacy of sustainability, innovation, design, creativity and collaboration, while supporting West Coast communities devastated by the pine beetle.

"Far Coast is thrilled to do its part to reduce the overall environmental footprint of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with our Blue Pine Furniture Partnership and the introduction of a compostable hot ecotainer(R)," says Chris Terrio , managing director, Brewed Beverages, Coca-Cola. "For the first time, Coca-Cola will be serving a complete line-up of freshly-brewed premium Far Coast coffee, tea and cocoa at an Olympic Games, and we're creating a relaxed atmosphere for spectators and visitors to enjoy our beverages during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games."

All Far Coast beverages served at the 2010 Winter Games will use a 100 per cent compostable packaging solution, a first at the Olympic Games, consisting of the cup, lid and sleeve as part of Far Coast's Olympic Games environmental legacy.

The ecotainer(R) hot cups and lids are made from renewable resources such as Ingeo(TM) biopolymer (a fully renewable, plant-based material) and fiber sourced from forests that meet the Sustainable Forestry Initiative(R) standard. ecotainer(R) products can be composted along with food waste in most commercial composting facilities, which helps reduce the amount of material going to landfills.

To ensure a better end-of-life scenario for the Far Coast cups used at the Olympic Winter Games, Coca-Cola and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) have arranged for composting bins to be available throughout the Games venues and have contracted with two commercial composters in Vancouver to manage the composting.

Coca-Cola and the Olympic Movement

The Coca-Cola Company has been associated with the Olympic Games since 1928 and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. Through the Olympic Games, Coca-Cola encourages people to create their own path of "positivity" in everyday life by believing that anything is possible. The Company's sponsorship supports National Olympic Committees in more than 200 countries to help athletes train and compete.

Coca-Cola in Canada

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. In Canada , the Company is represented by its subsidiary, Coca-Cola Ltd. (Coca-Cola in Canada ). Coca-Cola is Canada's largest beverage company. Coca-Cola in Canada markets three of Canada's top nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Sprite, and the leading ready-to-drink tea: Nestea. In addition, our subsidiary is the largest juice and juice drinks company with Minute Maid, Five Alive and Fruitopia. The Company also markets DASANI, PowerAde and other hot and cold beverages.

For more information about Coca-Cola in Canada , please visit our website at www.cocacola.ca or our parent company's website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com. To learn more about Far Coast and the Blue Pine Furniture Partnership please visit www.farcoast.com.

For further information: Media Contact: Tara Knight, Hill & Knowlton, [phone], [email protected]