3.	INVESTMENT IN AFFILIATES

Unconsolidated Affiliate and Related Party

Consolidated Container Company — We own an approximately 25% non-controlling interest, on a fully diluted basis, in Consolidated Container Company ("CCC"), one of the nation's largest manufacturers of rigid plastic containers and our largest supplier of plastic bottles and bottle components. We have owned our minority interest since July 2, 1999, when we sold our U.S. plastic packaging operations to CCC. Vestar Capital Partners, an unaffiliated entity, controls CCC through a majority ownership interest. Pursuant to our agreements with Vestar, we control two of the eight seats on CCC's Management Committee.

Since July 2, 1999, our investment in CCC has been accounted for under the equity method of accounting. During 2001, we concluded that our investment was permanently impaired so we wrote off our remaining investment. Our investment in CCC has been recorded at zero value since then and is still generating no income under the equity method of accounting. We have received no distributions from CCC since writing the investment down in 2001. As the tax basis of our investment in CCC is calculated differently than the carrying value of the investment recognized in our Consolidated Financial Statements, the sale or liquidation of our investment, the timing of which may be beyond our control, could result in a significantly disproportionate tax obligation.

We have supply agreements with CCC to purchase certain of our requirements for plastic bottles and bottle components from CCC through December 31, 2014. We spent $360.3 million, $314.9 million and $268.2 million on products purchased from CCC during the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, we had net payables to CCC of $24.5 million and $12.8 million, respectively.

Non-controlling Interest in Consolidated Affiliate

Hero/WhiteWave Joint Venture — In January 2008, we entered into and formed a 50/50 strategic joint venture with Hero Group ("Hero"), a producer of international fruit and infant nutrition brands. In 2011, the joint venture partners decided to wind down Hero's operations. See Note 2.

During 2011 and 2010, our joint venture partner made cash contributions of $6.8 million and $8.0 million, respectively. Our joint venture partner did not make any non-cash contributions in 2011 or 2010. During 2011 and 2010, we made cash contributions of $6.9 million and $8.8 million, respectively, and continued non-cash contributions in the form of the capital lease for the manufacturing facility constructed at one of our existing WhiteWave plants. The joint venture has assets of $4.0 million, primarily equipment held for sale, and liabilities of $2.4 million, which are included within the WhiteWave-Alpro segment.