PepsiCo Commits $500,000 to Veterans with Disabilities

Want to help out a U.S. Veteran? PepsiCo does, and they’ve just announced their second $500,000 donation to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV), through Dream Machine recycling kiosks, as seen above.

The national program offers career training, education and job creation for post-9/11 U.S. veterans with disabilities, powered by you.

The more plastic bottles and aluminum cans Americans recycle in Dream Machine kiosks and bins nationwide, the more support PepsiCo will provide to the EBV. For every 10 million pounds of recycled material collected, the company will contribute an additional $250,000.

The recycling initiative, covered here, is a collaborative effort with Waste Management, Keep America Beautiful, and Greenopolis.

The kiosks are computerized receptacles with a personal reward system that tracks points for every bottle or can recycled, and points are redeemable for local discounts on entertainment, dining and travel.

"At PepsiCo, we are committed to delivering sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet. We are honored to support the EBV through the Dream Machine recycling program," said Jeremy Cage, SVP and head of the Dream Machine Recycling Initiative, PepsiCo in a release.

EBV was created at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and operates under SU's Institute for Veterans and Military Families. A growing network of schools across the country including Texas A&M University, The Florida State University, UCLA, Purdue University, the University of Connecticut, Cornell University and Louisiana State University provide the free training to qualified veterans.

"PepsiCo's support of the EBV has been vital to the program's growth," said Mike Haynie, EBV founder, IVMF executive director and Barnes Professor of Entrepreneurship at SU's Whitman School.

“It's my hope that more organizations will step forward to adopt the Dream Machine recycling program so that together, we can continue to make a difference for our veterans," said Haynie.

Since The Dream Machine initiative was introduced on Earth Day 2010, PepsiCo has donated $1 million to the EBV.

"Our strategic partnerships on this initiative help make recycling more convenient and rewarding, and the effort goes to support our veterans with disabilities who are reentering civilian life,” commented Cage.

It’s a win-win for all involved and a tangible Dream Machine for those who’ve served our country.