Coca-Cola in the dock on waste
We have always tried to support positive moves from multinationals who are trying to improve their environmental record, but sometimes they really do just "shoot themselves in the foot" and any good work they have done gets thrown aside as the true nature of an organisation seeps through. Today, step forward Coca-Cola, who Treehugger report have threatened SodaStream after Sodastream mounted a number of exhibitions highlighting the waste from cans and plastic drinks bottles.It seems Coca-Cola South Africa has now issued a cease-and-desist letter to Israel-based maker of home carbonation units and soda-making products because of Sodastream's habit of collecting of disposable cans and bottles (from a variety of beverage makers) and displaying them in promotional "cages" to demonstrate how much less waste is created by making your own soda or sparking water. These cages have been used in more than 20 exhibits around the world, with a text reading "1 Family. 5 Years. 10,657 bottles and cans. The lawyer's concludes that Sodastream is using Coca-Colas's "trade marks in a manner intended to disparage them, while competing with our client's products" adding "your conduct amounts to unlawful competition under the common law." Hmmmmmmm, what's more important is the ongoing waste from packaging.As well as committing to reducing CO2 emissions and water use, and being the beverage sector leader in energy efficiency and climate protection, Coke says that it aspires to make packaging a valuable resource for future use
- Improve packaging material efficiency per litre of product sold by 7% by 2015, compared with a 2008 baseline.
- Recover 50% of the equivalent bottles and cans used annually by 2015.
- Source 25% of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic from recycled or renewable material by 2015.
- The Coca-Cola Company recently announced plans to produce 100% plant-based recyclable bottles by 2020
Photo by Ian Muttoo.More here http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/coca-cola-tells-sodastream-stop-using-our-garbage-against-us.html and more about 'pressure from a sponsor' resulting in American Idol finalists being prevented from speaking out about pollution caused by plastic bottle - with Coca-Cola again in the dock - more here https://agreenerfuture.com/wp-admin/post-new.php and here http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/ and here http://www.ecodesk.com/sustainability/coca-cola