Sustainability Intern

Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC; Winston-Salem (NC); On-site; USD 17,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC is offering a student internship to support a fall football season waste diversion pilot at Wake Forest home games. You will help plan recycling visibility, document current practices, and collect basic metrics to inform improvements.

You will engage with PBV and Wake Forest University stakeholders, observe game-day operations, and prepare end-of-semester findings with actionable recommendations for future programs.

Qualifications

• Currently undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in environmental and sustainability studies, environmental science, business, engineering, communications, sports marketing, public policy, or a related field.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently within a limited weekly time commitment.
• Interest in sustainability, recycling, waste reduction, or event-based environmental initiatives.
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Availability to support select Wake Forest home football game activities, as agreed in advance.

Responsibilities

• Waste Diversion Pilot Support: Support planning for a small-scale exploratory waste diversion pilot during the fall football season. Assist with identifying opportunities to improve recycling visibility, beverage container recovery, and fan awareness.
• Observation & Data Collection: Observe current game‑day recycling and waste collection practices during select home football games. Help document what works well, where gaps exist, and what may be needed to enhance the program. Collect basic information such as recycling station visibility, participation observations, contamination concerns, and operational barriers to inform future improvements. Take notes on fan behavior, collection bin placement, labeling and structural design effectiveness, collection points, and event flow. Support simple tracking of available waste diversion indicators, where practical and accessible. Summarize observations in a clear and organized format.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Coordinate with PBV, Wake Forest University contacts, and other designated stakeholders as needed. Participate in limited planning or check‑in meetings related to the study and pilot intervention. Engage with university partners, volunteers, or event personnel to better understand current practices and improvement opportunities. Help gather feedback from stakeholders involved in game‑day operations or sustainability efforts.
• Pilot Evaluation & Recommendations: Identify practical recommendations for improving future recycling and waste diversion efforts. Document lessons learned from the exploratory pilot. Highlight potential barriers, resource needs, and opportunities for a larger‑scale program in future football seasons, with takeaways that may be applied to other athletics venues. Prepare a concise end‑of‑semester summary of findings and recommendations for PBV leadership.
• Football Game‑Day Program Execution: Assist with planning and activating recycling initiatives at Wake Forest home football games. Coordinate placement and readiness of recycling collection infrastructure before each game. Conduct pre‑game and post‑game inspections of recycling collection areas. Support game‑day operations to ensure recycling stations remain functional, visible, and properly utilized. Prepare reports and presentations summarizing seasonal program results and environmental impact.

Skills

Communication

Organizational skills

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Independent work

Time management

Education

Undergraduate or graduate student in environmental and sustainability fields

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Waste Diversion Pilot Support: Support planning for a small-scale exploratory waste diversion pilot during the fall football season. Assist with identifying opportunities to improve recycling visibility, beverage container recovery, and fan awareness.
• Observation & Data Collection: Observe current game‑day recycling and waste collection practices during select home football games. Help document what works well, where gaps exist, and what may be needed to enhance the program. Collect basic information such as recycling station visibility, participation observations, contamination concerns, and operational barriers to inform future improvements. Take notes on fan behavior, collection bin placement, labeling and structural design effectiveness, collection points, and event flow. Support simple tracking of available waste diversion indicators, where practical and accessible. Summarize observations in a clear and organized format.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Coordinate with PBV, Wake Forest University contacts, and other designated stakeholders as needed. Participate in limited planning or check‑in meetings related to the study and pilot intervention. Engage with university partners, volunteers, or event personnel to better understand current practices and improvement opportunities. Help gather feedback from stakeholders involved in game‑day operations or sustainability efforts.
• Pilot Evaluation & Recommendations: Identify practical recommendations for improving future recycling and waste diversion efforts. Document lessons learned from the exploratory pilot. Highlight potential barriers, resource needs, and opportunities for a larger‑scale program in future football seasons, with takeaways that may be applied to other athletics venues. Prepare a concise end‑of‑semester summary of findings and recommendations for PBV leadership.
• Football Game‑Day Program Execution: Assist with planning and activating recycling initiatives at Wake Forest home football games. Coordinate placement and readiness of recycling collection infrastructure before each game. Conduct pre‑game and post‑game inspections of recycling collection areas. Support game‑day operations to ensure recycling stations remain functional, visible, and properly utilized. Prepare reports and presentations summarizing seasonal program results and environmental impact.

Professional Development & Learning Opportunities

• Project Management: Supporting a defined pilot, tracking activities, organizing findings, and managing limited deliverables.
• Change Management: Learning how behavior, communication, visibility, and stakeholder alignment influence recycling participation.
• Stakeholder Management: Working with business, university, athletics, facilities, and sustainability partners.
• Data Collection & Reporting: Gathering observations and basic metrics to support decision‑making.
• Sustainability Strategy: Understanding how ongoing program evaluation future program design and investment decisions.
• Professional Communication: Preparing a clear summary of findings, recommendations, and potential next steps for leadership review.

Qualifications Required

• Currently undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in environmental and sustainability studies, environmental science, business, engineering, communications, sports marketing, public policy, or a related field.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently within a limited weekly time commitment.
• Interest in sustainability, recycling, waste reduction, or event‑based environmental initiatives.
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Availability to support select Wake Forest home football game activities, as agreed in advance.

Preferred Interest

• Interest in collegiate athletics, sports operations, or environmental stewardship.
• Experience volunteering or working at events.
• Experience collecting observations, organizing information, or preparing summary reports.
• Comfort communicating with multiple stakeholders in a professional setting.

Key Deliverables

• A simple project plan outlining the scope for future exploratory pilot interventions, activities, and timeline.
• A summary of observations from select football game‑day waste diversion activities.
• A basic review of recycling visibility, participation opportunities, and potential operational barriers.
• A concise end‑of‑semester pilot summary with lessons learned and recommendations.
• A short presentation for PBV leadership and relevant Wake Forest stakeholders.

Success Measures

• Complete agreed‑upon work within a maximum commitment of 10 hours per week.
• Provide clear and useful observations.
• Identify practical opportunities to improve future recycling and waste diversion efforts.
• Engage professionally with PBV and Wake Forest stakeholders.
• Deliver a concise, thoughtful summary of findings, barriers, and recommendations.

Why This Role Matters

This internship provides a practical opportunity to explore how sustainability ideas can be tested in a real‑world setting before being expanded into a larger program. The selected candidate will gain experience working with multiple stakeholders, observing behavior change opportunities, and translating findings into actionable recommendations. The goal of this internship is not to fully run or own a comprehensive football recycling program. Instead, the goal is to help PBV and Wake Forest learn what is possible, what resources may be needed, and how future waste diversion efforts could be designed for greater impact.

Unfortunately, we will be unable to offer visa sponsorships to candidates.

EOE

EOE M/F/D/V Pepsi Bottling Ventures is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status. All employment decisions are based on valid job‑related requirements. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website, you may request a reasonable accommodation to express interest in a specific opening. You can request reasonable accommodation by calling 1-800-662-8792 or via e‑mail at [e-mail]

Who We Are

We are jointly owned by Suntory and PepsiCo. Suntory is a family‑owned business founded in Japan more than 125 years ago that is known globally for their beverages and innovative spirit. PepsiCo has a 125‑year plus legacy as a global leader in convenient foods and beverages. We represent Suntory’s non‑alcoholic beverage industry in the United States and have an 80‑year plus legacy of providing PepsiCo products to the Carolinas and beyond.

What We Do

We make, sell, and distribute PepsiCo and more beverages. We have the exclusive rights to make, sell, and distribute directly to stores in our territory the world‑renowned PepsiCo and Keurig Dr. Pepper beverages. These exclusive rights make up the vast majority of our business and cover certain counties across five states. We also create our own beverages, producing and distributing them to our customers’ warehouses nationally. And we make, sell, and distribute to our customers’ warehouses a growing portfolio of beverages nationally. These beverages make up a small, but growing part of our business.

What Makes Us Unique

We bring you the beverages you love. We bring PepsiCo’s and Keurig Dr. Pepper’s beloved beverages and more to you and our customers. As a part of Suntory, we believe in dreaming big and boldly pursuing our dreams, growing for good, and giving back to society. We innovate to create new beverages, like our Nature’s Twist refreshing lemonade line, and we continuously expand our beverage portfolio to bring you and our customers joy.

What We Look for in Team Members

We value integrity, teamwork, accountability, creativity, and communication in all we do and expect the same from all team members.