Coca-Cola announced today a decision to make at least 25% of its packaging reusable.
The multinational company, which produces over 120 billion plastic bottles a year, has faced criticism from Greenpeace and other environmental groups for the negative impact of its single-use plastic on the environment and communities located near petrochemical manufacturing plants and downstream of the plastic waste.
In response to Coca Cola’s announcement, Greenpeace Aotearoa Plastics Campaigner Juressa Lee, said: “Coca Cola’s move towards reusable packaging is a great step in the right direction and a win for people power, but more is needed.”
“This step from Coca-Cola is significant in setting a precedent for the consumer goods industry to be responsible producers. It also signals that continued pressure is working. Environmental groups around the globe have been pushing for Coca-Cola to take more responsibility. This is another win for everyone who has pushed so hard for change,’’ says Lee.
“We are in a global plastic crisis, where plastics have invaded every corner of our planet and are even detected in our bodies. Coca Cola has immense resources at its disposal so we are encouraging them to increase this commitment to 50% reusables by 2030.
“Coca-Cola could be industry game changers. By embracing reuse, they would lead big brands out of their reliance on single-use plastic packaging into the low carbon, zero-waste, circular economy that our planet, communities and climate desperately need.”
Greenpeace Aotearoa has been calling for the New Zealand Government to ban single-use plastic bottles and mandate refill and reuse solutions. The group’s petition recently passed 100,000 signatures, which Greenpeace says clearly shows that New Zealanders want action on plastic pollution and banning the bottle is the next step.
“Here in Aotearoa we are calling for a ban on the single-use plastic bottles, so in 2030, when Coke is still pumping out plastic, single-use plastic bottles are no longer a problem.”
Coca-Cola has been named the world’s worst plastic polluter for the fourth year in a row according to Break Free From Plastic’s brand audit.
This month, national governments and multinationals will gather for the next session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) in Kenya, presenting the international community with a unique opportunity to take substantial decisions on the issue.
Coca-Cola is one of more than 70 signatories, including Governments and other multinationals, that recently signed a statement calling for an ambitious global treaty that addresses the issue of plastic pollution.
Call on the NZ Government to ban unnecessary single-use plastic bottles* in NZ, and to incentivise reusable and refillable alternatives.
