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Coca-Cola accused of quietly dropping its 25% reusable packaging target (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 3 weeks ago by HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to c/world@lemmy.world
40 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Coca-Cola has been accused of quietly abandoning a pledge to achieve a 25% reusable packaging target by 2030 in what campaigners call a “masterclass in greenwashing”.

The company has been previously found by researchers to be among the world’s most polluting brands when it comes to plastic waste.

In 2022, the company made a promise to have 25% of its drinks sold in refillable or returnable glass or plastic bottles, or in refillable containers that could be filled up at fountains or “Coca-Cola freestyle dispensers”.

But shortly before this year’s global plastics summit, the company deleted the page on its website outlining this promise, and it no longer has a target for reusable packaging.

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[-] paysrenttobirds@sh.itjust.works 51 points 3 weeks ago

I'm just going to be unpopular for a minute here and say if you find yourself drinking out of single use disposable containers everyday, take some time to see if you can change that, even a little bit.

The future "goals" listed here are so lame I don't think you can pretend there's a sustainable way for billions of people to have that habit.

[-] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 23 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, the people are to blame. Why won't anyone ever think of the poor corporations trying their best?

[-] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Dunno why you're getting downvoted, 'cause you're right.

Corporations sell products THEY'VE created in containers THEY'VE chosen using media THEY'VE hired to create profit for THEMSELVES.

How in the fuck are regular people at fault here in any way, shape or form?

[-] slaacaa@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Exactly. If they weren’t manufacturing and selling plastic trash, people wouldn’t buy it. I try to limit my plastic use, and recycle what I use, but that is not enough.

Single use plastics should be banned fully, coke and other companies could sell their stuff in glass or harder, reusable plastic.

[-] SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

It would help if they'd stop blasting people with ads and marketing, the stuff designed to override people's choices.

[-] oldfart@lemm.ee 1 points 3 weeks ago

People choose to drink their rust dissolver. Coca Cola is not like Nestle which is almost impossible to avoid when you buy food. It's one of many brands of soft drinks, all of which are as necessary in your diet as candy and cigarettes.

[-] ms_lane@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

They make quite a few other products.

ie. Powerade (try working in the sun at 40+c for a few hours without some electrolyte water, you'd be as good as dead)

I haven't bought soft drink in years, but still end up buying products from Coca Cola.

[-] oldfart@lemm.ee 1 points 3 weeks ago

There are plenty of electrolyte drinks to choose from, at least where I live. Also, water with some juice and a little bit of salt works.

[-] paysrenttobirds@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago

You're the one giving them money every day for sugar water. I just said to maybe stop?

[-] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Me personally? Damn, I didn't realize I was the one keeping them in business, despite not purchasing their products.

Corporations and the upper class want infighting. They want us to fight each other and blame each other for their evil tactics. Stop playing into their hands. Blame them, not the average consumer.

[-] overload@sopuli.xyz 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Yeah, let's try and change the habits of billions of people rather than the practises of 1 company. Way simpler and effective solution.

In fact, let's not even worry about the fact that the company in particular does everything in its power to keep people buying their product.

[-] paysrenttobirds@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

I'm not trying to change billions of people's habits, just a few that I know and love :)

But, I don't think I'm alone.

Where is the button I push to dissolve CocaCola? Our pure hatred isn't going to do it.

Everyone wishes they could somehow multiply their own influence over the world, but being just one person is no reason to give in and do what they told you.

Voting once a year with a Coke in your other hand is a recipe for status quo.

[-] overload@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I'm not advocating for people not doing things within their power and influence (i.e. influence their friends and family), but I think it's clear that systematic collective change is more effective than expecting billions of people to change their individual choices.

Advertising works, and Coca Cola Company has effectively endless resources for advertisement.

We have to push to influence legislation that will force companies to comply. Otherwise we're just complaining endlessly about people not doing the right thing while these companies freely profit at the expense of the environment.

[-] geissi@feddit.org 8 points 3 weeks ago

While it's a commendable attitude for one person, trying to solve systematic issues by appealing to individuals does not work.
That is exactly what governments and legislature are for.

[-] Noodle07@lemmy.world 0 points 3 weeks ago

I'd buy a soda stream syrup instead of buying coca cola bottles but last time I checked it was slightly more expensive to do so

[-] ShadowFlower@lemm.ee 7 points 3 weeks ago

"I want to do the right thing but it's slightly more expensive"

[-] Noodle07@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

The right thing is drinking water

[-] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 weeks ago

The issue is more the blatant profiteering off people looking to do the right thing.

There is absolutely no reason for a small bottle of syrup to cost more per serve than buying multiple giant plastic bottles made up of 95% carbonated water.

Matter of fact, it’s counter-intuitive as you usually are charged more for a convenience (ie. a ready to go beverage), versus buying the ingredients separately.

[-] JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

True. But it shouldn't be. At all.

Bottling, shipping and stocking hundreds and hundreds of bottles of soft drinks that are 98% just water on the store shelf costs a hell of a lot more than putting a hundredth of the amount of syrup in a small bag and selling that. A sachet of sugar-free cola syrup would be smaller than a McDonald's ketchup pouch, and cost a few cents.

[-] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Also SodaStream is an Israeli company with ties to forced labor in the West Bank :(

[-] Noodle07@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Yup, am aware of that. I think I'll go with drinkmate

[-] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

As I have diabetes I make my own soda. Just buy some good quality flavorings from a reputable shop and add them to club soda ... or, if you like 7-up, just add a few drops of lemon and lime juice to club soda.

For a sweetener I use stevia, but if you want sugar for your drink, boil some water and add a few tablespoons of sugar. Add some of that mix to the club soda mixture, to taste.

[-] Zerlyna@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

I have one but it’s just not the same to me. And yes I needed to use so much syrup it’s not cost effective for me either.

[-] ms_lane@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Do you not have Cordial? ('Squash' for the Americans)

[-] Zerlyna@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

No, I’ve never seen this.

[-] myplacedk@lemmy.world 38 points 3 weeks ago

Here is in Denmark they are at 100%, because that's our law. As far as I know (as a consumer), it works just fine.

All soda bottles and cans can be returned in (almost?) any store that sells them. When we buy, a small deposit is added. When we return the container, we get the deposit back.

The deposit is adjusted every now and then to keep it small enough to not significantly affect customers buying power, but big enough that most people want the money back.

[-] ms_lane@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

Where aren't they close to that?

In Australia they were at 70:30 Recycled:Virgin PET, 30 years ago when I toured the plant, all of their water products are 100% now (but they're pretty flimsy, not sure the mount franklin bottles would hold up under 'shaken up coca coca' pressures)

[-] Xatolos@reddthat.com 5 points 3 weeks ago

In 2022, the company made a promise to have 25% of its drinks sold in refillable or returnable glass or plastic bottles, or in refillable containers that could be filled up at fountains or “Coca-Cola freestyle dispensers”.

It's reusable, not recyclable that is the pledge. While recyclable is good, reusable is better.

Denmark doesn't have any laws making it reusable only.

[-] myplacedk@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

Ah yes, that is an important distinction. Although for now, I'd say recycling instead of trashing is a big improvement. Especially if the trash ends up in nature.

[-] andros_rex@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Manufacturers should have been made responsible for ensuring that there was a system in place for their packaging, decades ago. This isn’t a “vote with your dollars” thing - plastic is cheap and has no downsides to the megacorps, only to us and the environment.

The plastic industry has been gaslighting us for decades, in a way that the cigarette industry must be kicking itself watching.

[-] tempest@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 weeks ago

There already is a system in place they are just being cheap.

Every container coke comes in could be made of aluminum one of the most recyclable and reusable metals we have.

[-] Car@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Aluminum with a thin plastic liner. Only glass gets away without any use of plastics, and even they maybe not, as I haven’t seen any bottle caps without some sort of lining lately

[-] tempest@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah they are not perfect but still objectivity better.

[-] mightyfoolish@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago

What's wrong with aluminum?

[-] Oijkuij@lemmy.world 17 points 3 weeks ago

Not that this makes it "wrong" but aluminum cans are also plastic cans, they have a liner on the inside of the metal layer that prevents the acidic soda from corroding things and affecting the flavor. Here's a quick demo of it. While it doesn't prevent the Al from being recycled it is single-use plastic, the liner burns off when the can is melted down. Glass has no such need for the liner.

[-] thatKamGuy@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 weeks ago

Glass is still the best medium, but it is relatively heavy and fragile - making per-unit costs significantly higher once all factors are accounted for (loss, logistics etc).

While it’s true that a few milligrams of plastic are burned off when cans are recycled - it is still infinitely better for the environment overall than single-use bottles.

[-] ms_lane@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Logistics is huge, Coopers Brewery are finally moving away from Glass for Al Cans after many years of being only available in glass, since it reduces their carbon footprint by an exceptional margin.

[-] mightyfoolish@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

There was plastic in there this whole time? Thank you for that video. Very informative.

Is it weird that I think drinks from an aluminum can taste better than their plastic bottle equivalent? Is the difference in my head?

[-] papertowels@lemmy.one 2 points 3 weeks ago

I'm not scientist, but I wonder if the can feels cooler.

Also, I definitely have been pavloved into thinking the sound of a can opening is refreshing.

[-] TheFin@leminal.space 4 points 3 weeks ago

wonder how many coke bottles are floating in the ocean

this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
366 points (99.5% liked)

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