Coca-Cola’s ‘Recycled Records’ Highlights Music Sampling & Recycling’s Shared Values

The Coca-Cola Company teamed up with two legendary names in music sampling, Mark Ronson and Madlib, to bring a bold musical experiment to life with the launch of “Recycled Records.”

The campaign introduces an original EP made up of the sounds taken from the bottle-to-bottle recycling process, alongside a versatile sound library and engaging short film. Not only will fans be able to listen to these uniquely made tracks, but they’ll also have the ability to re-mix the very same sound library used by the two musical legends into innovative compositions of their own through an interactive digital beat machine.

Creative masters Mark Ronson and Madlib chopped, looped, and distorted recycled sounds, vocals, and ambient noises into an imaginative collection of six one-of-a-kind tracks to celebrate Sprite, Fresca, and Seagram’s transition from green to clear packaging. From the percussion of a forklift beeping to the tonal beat of a conveyor belt to the hi-hat of air blown into a plastic bottle, the EP brings to life the magic of multiple reuses.

“Sound sampling is constantly regenerating. Sampling is what my heroes did, and it’s now become an integral part of my own work,” says Grammy award-winning producer and sampling master Mark Ronson. “The creative process is filled with happy accidents...creators will find, you play with this beat pack a million ways and no composition will be the same. Now it’s time for the fans to recycle the sounds of recycling itself. After all, some of the most inspiring sounds we can use in music creation are from our everyday lives.”

MadlibA sound sample is to music as clear plastic is to recycling. The process of music sampling is ongoing; an old sound is used in a new track, which is flipped again into a newer track, and so on. When green plastic is recycled, it is usually turned into single-use items that do not get recycled again—so, it was time for a moment of clarity, the company says. Now Sprite, Fresca and Seagram’s clear plastic bottles increase the likelihood of them being remade into new bottles many times. Mark Ronson

“A great sample doesn’t have to come from other music, it just has to make you move. Your ear is your greatest asset when it comes to finding unique sounds and chopping them together,” says beatmaker and rapper Madlib. “The thud of a plastic bottle going through a recycling facility is, in its own way, a piece of art. Being able to take sounds so different from what I’ve used in the past and flip it into a whole new format is a great example of the versatility of sound—and clear plastic. Now fans of The Coca-Cola Company will get the opportunity to listen to my tracks and make some dope sounds of their own.”

To learn more, fans can look to acclaimed artist and female rap pioneer, MC Lyte, who narrates a documentary-style short film that draws a clear connection between the heritage and spirit of music sampling and the closed-loop recycling process. The company says this film, filled with rich soundscapes, imaginative beats, and riveting visuals, showcases the creative process behind Recycled Records including extensive sound recordings at recycling facilities nationwide and a fascinating glimpse into the studios of Mark Ronson and Madlib. “

The Coca-Cola Company is thrilled to have teamed up with Mark Ronson and to celebrate our portfolio’s transition from green to clear. This sonic partnership is part of The Coca-Cola Company’s broader World Without Waste goals,” says Kurt Ritter, VP and general manager of sustainability, North America at Coca-Cola. “We’re excited about the switch because it increases the amount of high-quality, food-grade recycled plastic available in the marketplace and ultimately allows our brands to use more recycled plastic in their packaging.”

Consumers can watch the film and take the Recycled Records beat machine for a spin to create their own musical compositions at greentoclear.com.