John,

Again and again, Coca-Cola has been crowned as the world's number one plastic polluter.[1]

According to one study, it is responsible for 11% of all branded plastic waste.[2] That's 11% of the plastic waste that chokes our rivers and oceans, where it can harm or even kill birds, fish and sea turtles.

But instead of working to reduce its plastic footprint, Coca-Cola just went back on its commitment to reduce single-use plastic by switching to refillable containers for 25% of its global beverage sales.[3]

As plastic pollution levels skyrocket, Coca-Cola needs to do its part to reduce single-use plastic waste, not throw in the towel. Tell Coca-Cola to recommit to refillable containers.
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Plastic waste is a threat to human health. Given time, plastics break down into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually creating microplastics. These can infiltrate our water and air and even end up in our bodies.[4]

It's not complicated: The more plastic we produce, the more plastic turns up in unwanted places, be it bodies of water or the bodies of humans. That's why we need to eliminate wasteful single-use plastic.

If Coca-Cola restored its commitment to invest in refillable containers, people could enjoy their drinks without worrying that their beverage container would cause environmental damage for years to come.

Tell Coca-Cola: We want bottles made to be reused, not thrown away.
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Unfortunately, Coca-Cola has a different plan. Its new policy promises to move toward using more recycled materials and recycling bottles instead of reusing them.

There's only one problem: recycling isn't going to solve the plastic pollution problem.

Globally, less than 10% of plastic actually ends up being recycled.[5] And when a bottle is floating off in the ocean, it doesn't make one bit of difference whether it's recyclable or not. The only answer is to stop making and using so many disposable plastic bottles.

It's time for the number one plastic polluter to take the issue seriously.

Add your name: Coca-Cola should make more of its bottles reusable.
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Thank you,

Faye Park
President

1. Tim Gallagher, "Coca-Cola revealed as world's worst plastic polluter for fifth year in a row," Euro News, November 18, 2022.
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2. Zack Budryk, "5 companies create a quarter of plastic pollution," The Hill, April 29, 2024.
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3. Sarah Raza, "Coca-Cola just weakened its goal to reduce single-use plastics," Washington Post, December 3, 2024.
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4. Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, "Microplastics are in our bodies. Here's why we don't know the health risks," Science News, March 24, 2023.
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5. "STATEMENT: Coca-Cola's commitment to plastic reduction fizzles out," Environment America, December 10, 2024.
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