June 16, 2022
(press release)
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“Big pollution or big solution?”: global coalition of over 400 organisations demand the world's 5 biggest plastic polluters switch to reusable packaging for World Refill Day A global coalition of over 400 global organisations have joined forces on World Refill Day to demand that the five biggest plastic polluters commit to 'transparent, ambitious and accountable reuse and refill systems'. In an open letter, organisations and members of the #breakfreefromplastic movement, including City to Sea (who are behind World Refill Day, the global campaign to help people live with less waste), Greenpeace and
In the face of climate catastrophe, the signatory organisations highlight that plastic will add more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere in a single year, while plastic production is expected to rise by 40% over the next decade, driven in large part by single-use plastic packaging. Crucially, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé,
In addition to fuelling the climate crisis, the production, use, and disposal of plastic creates toxic pollution that harms both people and the planet. Plastic production and disposal, especially via incineration or landfill, disproportionately impacts communities of colour, low-income communities and indigenous communities by polluting the air, water, and soil. At the same time, the toxic chemicals in plastic packaging and products cause irreparable damage to the environment, wildlife, and our own health through everyday use. Plastic is inherently toxic, and the government has a responsibility to protect us from that toxicity by holding corporate polluters accountable. Signatories, including businesses, campaigners and faith groups have stated that for the companies to move their reputations from “big pollution” to “big solution” they need to urgently: REVEAL the full extent of their plastic footprint if they do not already do so. This is a core part of accountability and essential if corporations are to reduce their plastic footprint. Reporting should be per single-use plastic item, as well as by weight. REDUCE the amount of plastic they use by setting ambitious, transparent targets, and supporting action plans on how to achieve them. Then, prioritise achieving those targets. REINVENT their packaging to allow for refill and reuse. To do this, they should commit to collaborating with other companies to standardise reusable packaging and build shared reuse systems and infrastructure. These measures are not only essential but also popular. Recent polling in 28 countries around the world, found that the vast majorities of people agree that manufacturers and retailers should take responsibility for reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic packaging, with a global average of 85%. Latin Americans are those who are most in agreement (89%), followed by Europeans. The five countries where support for having manufacturers and retailers take responsibility for reducing, reusing, and recycling plastic packaging is highest are
Coca-Cola has been named the biggest plastic polluter for four years in a row. In 2019 Coca-cola admitted to pumping out an estimated 200,000 single-use bottles every minute. This figure is likely to have grown in years since. This means that they're responsible for one-fifth of the entire world's PET production. #breakfreefromplastic's Brand Audit found more Coca-Cola-branded waste than the next two top polluters combined — as has been the case each year since 2019. In 2020, reporting for the Ellen MacArthur foundation found that Coca-Cola produced 2,981,421 metric tons (mT) of plastic. This amounts to 14,907,105 mT of CO2 emissions, equivalent to almost 3.25 million passenger vehicles driven for one year. Despite announcing ambitious reuse targets, there has been no evidence so far that this has resulted in a decrease in plastic pollution caused by their products. Natalie Fée, the CEO and Founder of City to Sea, the
To read the full open letter, click here. To download the media pack for World Refill Day including photos, stats and facts, additional quotes, stories, images and more please visit: https://bit.ly/WRDMediaPack2022. Notes: About World Refill Day: World Refill Day is a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste run by the
About #breakfreefromplastic (BFFP): BFFP is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 2,000 organizations and 11,000 individual supporters from across the world have joined the movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. BFFP member organizations and individuals share the shared values of environmental protection and social justice and work together through a holistic approach to bring about systemic change. This means tackling plastic pollution across the whole plastics value chain—from extraction to disposal—focusing on prevention rather than cure and providing effective solutions. About the Break Free From Plastic Brand Audit: This report is a collaboration of Break Free From Plastic members, allies and all 11,184 volunteers who conducted 440 brand audits across 45 countries. Together, they collected 330,493 pieces of plastic waste, 58% of which was marked with a clear consumer brand. Read the Full Report here https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/brandaudit2021/
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