Anonymous,
Volunteers just sifted through more than 400,000 pieces of plastic waste from beaches all across the globe, and found Coca-Cola to be the top global corporate plastic polluter for the second year in a row.1
In fact, the iconic American brand was responsible for more plastic debris than the next top three polluters combined.2
In the midst of a plastic waste crisis, the company can do better.
These results come from our Break Free From Plastic coalition's second brand audit report, which found Coca-Cola to be the most common contributor to plastic pollution yet again.3
Coca-Cola produces more than 3 million tons of plastic every year -- that's equivalent to 200,000 bottles a minute.4 Some of these bottles are inevitably making their way onto our beaches and into our oceans, and polluting our planet for far longer than they were of use.
The good news is it doesn't have to be that way. There are viable alternatives to single-use plastics, including glass, aluminum, biodegradable products or 100 percent post-consumer material.
Right now, Coca-Cola is focused on recycling programs. But with so much plastic produced, recycling isn't enough.
Given its immense resources, Coca-Cola should be leading the way -- coming up with its own solutions to move us away from these products, not keeping us tied to single-use plastics. Call on Coca-Cola to take the lead and move beyond plastic today.
We know that when enough consumers speak up, big companies like Coca-Cola clean up their act. For example, following consumer outcry, grocery giant Kroger committed to getting plastic bags out of its stores across the country by 2025. So when you speak up, you're helping convince Coca-Cola executives to change.
What's more, Coca-Cola just took a step in the right direction and left the plastics lobby that has been fighting to block plastic reduction legislation across the country.5
If Coca-Cola makes a commitment to reduce its use of plastic, it could spark an industry-wide change. But the company won't act without hearing from consumers. Tell Coca-Cola: Be a leader in moving our country beyond plastic.
Thank you,
Faye Park
President
1. Matt Franklin, "Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo named top plastic polluters for the second year in a row," Break Free From Plastic, October 23, 2019.
2. Sharon Lerner, "Coca-Cola Named Most Polluting Brand In Global Audit Of Plastic Waste," The Intercept, October 23, 2019.
3. Matt Franklin, "Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo named top plastic polluters for the second year in a row," Break Free From Plastic, October 23, 2019.
4. Sandra Laville, "Coca-Cola admits it produces 3m tonnes of plastic packaging a year," The Guardian, March 14, 2019.
5. Danielle Wiener-Bronner, "Coke and Pepsi abandon the plastics lobby," CNN, August 5, 2019.
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