Coke Does It Again
For the second consecutive year Coca Cola won the award for the most polluting brand in a global audit of plastic trash conducted by the Break Free From Plastic global movement.
As noted here: The giant soda company was responsible for more plastic litter than the next top three polluters combined. More than 72,000 volunteers fanned out onto beaches, paddled along waterways, and walked along streets near their offices and homes picking up plastic bottles, cups, wrappers, bags, and scraps for the one-day cleanup in September that was the basis for the audit. Sorting through the mounds of garbage, they found that the plastic represented 50 different types and could be traced back to almost 8,000 brands. Coke was responsible for 11,732 pieces of plastic litter found in 37 countries on four continents.
Everybody has to make a living, but I have to confess: I feel a bit of disdain for people whose life’s work harms human health and blights the environment.
Craig,
Firstly, I know you hate Coke-Cola, and any American large corporation, but it stands to reason coke would have more trash since they are the largest share of sales!
However, you raise an interesting point.
At what stage does corporate and government responsibility end and individual responsibility take over.
When I purchase a plastic bottle of Coke, I don’t really buy it from Coca-Cola, but from a vendor, who bought it from a wholesaler, who probably (depending on location) bought it from a licensed bottling and distribution plant.
At each stage of the sales chain people become responsible for the environmental impact, that’s a long way from the Coca Cola corporation in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
What about me, the consumer? What is my degree of responsibility?
After all, I’m an adult. I can vote, contract legal documents etc. What is my level of responsibility for my own garbage?
I realize those proto-socialists would have you believe the average citizen (excepting themselves) is too weak minded and irresponsible and is easy prey for evil greedy corporations. The average person must be protected by a wise “Nanny state” from accepting any responsibility leaving such decisions to condescendingly superior bureaucrats and political ideologues.
Maybe this is true, or maybe it’s just this attitude that creates a lack of awareness in the average citizen.
I believe it’s each individual citizen’s responsibility, not Coca-Cola to clean up or dispose of trash responsibly.
I commend all those civic minded volunteers, well done ! But i also believe we need to stop blaming anyone else but ourselves for dealing with our own trash.