Chiquita Brands International, is proud to announce its continued support for the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend. As the official banana sponsor of the race weekend, Chiquita will donate more than 100,000 bananas to runners and spectators at the 2019 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend. Disney and Chiquita have also teamed up to implement a banana peel collection and recycling process for the 2018-2019 runDisney race season as part of a larger strategy to strengthen environmental responsibility. 

Chiquita branded waste bins will be placed in strategic locations within runDisney race finish line areas throughout the race season to maximize capture rate with runners and spectators.  The new collection process, which will be implemented for the entire 2019 runDisney series, has the opportunity, if all peels are recycled, to divert upwards of 14 tons of food scraps (28,000 pounds of banana peels) from landfills and turn them into electricity and fertilizer.

“We’re always looking for ways to strengthen our commitment to the environment, and the banana peel collection and recycling process is the newest element of our environmental strategy for runDisney,” said Angie Renner.  “We’re excited to work with Chiquita to implement a recycling program where we can work together with our guests to reduce food waste from landfills.”

“Chiquita aspires to be a ‘Good Neighbor,’ and is committed to making a difference with consumers and the communities we serve. We want to leverage our global recognition and the reach of our Blue Sticker, especially when it comes to promoting recycling and a cleaner environment,” said Jamie Postell, Director of Sales North America. “We hope the spectators and runners at ‘The Most Magical Place on Earth’ will see the stickers on our bananas and remember that Chiquita commits to recycling efforts for a more sustainable planet.”

The 2019 runDisney race season will kick off January 10-13 during the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend, one of the most popular race weekends in the nation and one of the largest sporting events in Central Florida”. Additional runDisney races where Chiquita will hand out bananas to runners and spectators include:

•             Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – Feb. 21 – Feb. 24

•             Star Wars™ Rival Run Weekend – Apr. 4 – Apr. 7

•             Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – Oct. 31 – Nov. 3

For more information about Chiquita, visit their website at www.chiquita.com