John, Make that five years in a row... Once again, Coca-Cola is defending its title as the planet's top plastic polluter. In fact, according to a 2022 survey, Coca-Cola has been named the worst plastic polluter for five consecutive years.1 Tell Coca-Cola to reduce its plastic pollution by committing to refillable and reusable bottles. Comb through the sand at any beach, or the ground at any park or alongside any waterway, and you'll likely spot at least one of those bright red bottle caps. The most recent surveys show that more of those red caps and other of Coca-Cola's plastic products are ending up as litter every year -- in 2022, researchers found more than three times the number that they identified in 2018.2 The company claims to want "Every Bottle Back." That's more than 100 billion plastic bottles every year.3 To the company's credit, Coca-Cola committed in 2022 to sell 25% of its beverages worldwide in refillable containers. There's just one problem: It's not happening in Coke's biggest market, right here in the United States.4 That's a big problem, too, because America is a super-sized generator of plastic waste. With only 4% of the world's population, in a single year Americans were responsible for 17% of the world's plastic waste.5 That's why we need to tell Coca-Cola: Commit to at least 25% refillable bottles in the U.S., too. Coca-Cola has been the world's biggest plastic polluter for too long. It's time for Coke to become a leader in plastic waste reduction. And thank you, as always, for being part of the solution to plastic waste and pollution. Faye Park | |
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