Is Coca-Cola the worst plastic polluter within the UK?

Coca-Cola has been named because the U.Okay.’s worst plastic polluter by marine conservationists Surfers In opposition to Sewage (SAS) in its newest annual audit to determine the nation’s worst sources of branded plastic waste.

The brand new knowledge revealed by SAS identifies the “Soiled Dozen” manufacturers, which it says are chargeable for 70 % of branded plastic air pollution that the group has collected within the U.Okay. over a 12-month interval.

SAS mentioned that that is the fourth 12 months operating that Coca-Cola has topped its checklist of the U.Okay.’s greatest plastic polluters, revealing it’s chargeable for round 17 % of all branded plastic air pollution logged in its audit by citizen scientists.

The charity acknowledged that the excessive ranges of plastic litter from the model have continued is regardless of initiatives from Coca-Cola to cut back its plastic air pollution, such because the introduction of hooked up caps throughout its whole portfolio in Could 2022.

As a part of its analysis, the charity analyzed 30,745 particular person items of plastic litter collected between June 2022 and June 2023. It discovered that 36 % of those — or 10,951 objects — have been identifiably branded.

McDonald’s and PepsiCo have been named because the second and third worst polluters by SAS, with the quick meals chain overtaking the drinks big within the checklist for the primary time.

Its audit discovered that mixed, the three greatest polluting manufacturers have been chargeable for 37 % of all branded air pollution collected in the course of the audit, which it mentioned was down solely two proportion factors on final 12 months’s determine.

The charity analyzed 30,745 particular person items of plastic litter collected between June 2022 and June 2023.

Izzy Ross, campaigns supervisor at SAS, mentioned the findings of the audit have been “stunning, however sadly not stunning.”

“12 months on 12 months we’re seeing the identical culprits chargeable for disgusting quantities of plastic air pollution on our seashores, and in our cities and countryside,” she mentioned. “This Soiled Dozen of plastic polluting firms want to wash up their act. They should be held accountable for his or her air pollution and pushed to do extra to undertake round enterprise fashions to cut back their plastic and (by extension) their carbon footprint. These trade giants have the ability to avoid wasting or condemn our ocean. In the intervening time, they’re selecting the latter.”

Tesco, Haribo, Nestle, Mars, Heineken Holding, Carlsberg Group and Purple Bull have been additionally named by the audit as being among the many U.Okay.’s prime branded plastic polluters.

The audit additionally highlighted the fishing trade’s function as one other main supply of plastic waste, with fishing gear — together with traces, nets and ropes — making up 11 % of polluting objects discovered in the course of the audit. This determine rose to 16 % of waste air pollution on seashores.

In accordance with SAS, it is a 5 % improve on final 12 months’s determine of 11 %. Fishing rope was additionally discovered to be the third most ample merchandise amongst unbranded air pollution after miscellaneous plastic waste, equivalent to cigarette butts.

This 12 months’s audit additionally recognized vape and e-cigarette merchandise for the primary time, with 131 objects logged on this class.

The objects logged within the model audit report are all collected by volunteers throughout SAS’s Million Mile Cleans occasions, the place communities volunteer to wash coastlines, canal paths, bridleways and metropolis streets. SAS mentioned this 12 months greater than 4,000 volunteers took half in additional than 499 clean-up occasions.

Following its findings, SAS mentioned it’s calling on corporates to “clear up their act” and step up efforts to deal with plastic air pollution by taking duty for the whole lifecycle of their merchandise, decreasing their packaging, and adopting round enterprise fashions.

The charity can be urging the federal government to introduce an “all-in” deposit return scheme (DPS) for drinks containers of all sizes and supplies, together with glass, somewhat than the present scheme which is solely for small containers labeled as “on-the-go.”

It steered this scheme might see shoppers pay an upfront deposit on merchandise, which might be redeemed on return of the container.

Ross mentioned the deliberate DRS remained “some of the efficient methods to cut back plastic air pollution.”

“DRS schemes have been proven to be extremely profitable in different nations, and there isn’t any motive to imagine this would not be the case within the U.Okay.,” she added. “Sadly, the federal government continues to stall on plans to implement a DRS. In doing so, it’s condemning our ocean, seashores and rivers to an additional 8 billion additional items of plastic a 12 months, as plastic step by step chokes these fragile ecosystems to loss of life.”

Final 12 months SAS launched its nationwide motion plan to finish plastic air pollution. The plan set out a collection of coverage proposals, together with requires laws to finish the manufacturing and consumption of non-essential single-use and polluting plastics and that guarantee more practical useful resource use and waste administration.

It additionally referred to as for enterprise fashions targeted on discount and reuse in addition to cultural change throughout society to deal with littering and the nonetheless widespread use of single-use plastic packaging.

In response to being named because the U.Okay.’s worst plastic polluter, a spokesperson for Coca-Cola mentioned: “It’s clear the world is going through a packaging waste downside, and we now have a duty to assist clear up it. At Coca-Cola, we’re persevering with to work with our companions to encourage extra recycling, while actively supporting a number of initiatives aimed toward making litter a factor of the previous.”

Coca-Cola added that via its World with out Waste plan it it’s in search of to cut back the quantity of packaging it makes use of, and accumulate and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030. 

It mentioned that each one its bottles within the U.Okay. are already recyclable and all of its smaller packs are constructed from 100% recycled plastic, excluding the cap and label. 

“We additionally stay dedicated to the introduction of a well-designed Deposit Return Scheme, which we all know from ends in different nations will encourage individuals to recycle. Whereas we proceed to make progress, we’re difficult ourselves to do extra,” the spokesperson added.

A spokesperson for McDonald’s, named because the U.Okay.’s second worst plastic polluter, mentioned: “As a enterprise, we proceed to make adjustments to our packaging so as to scale back plastic waste and have already made numerous strikes on this space. These embrace eradicating plastic McFlurry lids, straws and salad containers, onerous plastic Joyful Meal toys, in addition to altering to paper packaging for all new toys. Most not too long ago, we changed plastic cutlery with paper-based options. Over 90 % of our packaging comes from recycled or renewable sources, and will be recycled, and we actively encourage our prospects to get rid of our packaging responsibly.”

In response to the audit and its place because the U.Okay.’s third worst plastic polluter, a spokesperson for PepsiCo UK mentioned: “We acknowledge that litter on our seashores is a big downside, and we all know there’s a vital function we should play to assist tackle this problem. It is why we have been supporting the Nice British Spring Clear for the final 5 years and are persevering with to put money into innovating our packaging.”

The corporate added that it has “closely invested” in eradicating pointless plastic from its multipack merchandise by changing outer baggage with paper, cardboard and tape packaging because it seeks to discover a “long-term wide-scale” answer.

PepsiCo UK added that it has an total objective of eliminating all virgin fossil-based plastics from its crisp and snack baggage in Europe by 2030. 

A spokesperson for Nestlé, named by SAS because the eighth worst contender, referred to as the SAS audit an “vital piece of analysis on the worldwide subject of plastic litter,” including that whereas the outcomes have been “not a shock,” they have been additionally “by no means good to see.”

“We’re conscious of the dimensions [of the problem],” Nestlé added. “Nonetheless, it’s fully unacceptable for [that] packaging to finish up as litter within the pure setting; it endangers wildlife, and threatens ecosystems and the meals chain.”

Its audit discovered that mixed, the three greatest polluting manufacturers have been chargeable for 37% of all branded air pollution collected.

Nestlé mentioned it’s working in direction of plans to have “as near 100%” of its packaging to be designed for recycling by 2025. In 2021, it mentioned it transformed 250 million packs of Smarties to recyclable paper packaging and in 2022, it began to transition High quality Avenue wrappers from twin foil and cellulose to recyclable paper wrappers.

It estimated this might take away virtually 2 billion particular person items of packaging materials from its provide chain within the U.Okay.

“We’re decided to cut back single-use packaging and are additionally exploring options to essentially change the way in which shoppers obtain and revel in our merchandise,” Nestlé added. “We’re actively collaborating with different firms, analysis institutes, NGOs and governments world wide to seek out the options which are wanted to make experiences like this a factor of the previous.”

A spokesperson from Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Firm (CMBC) mentioned: “Sustainability is a key focus for CMBC, and we’re adamant our merchandise ought to by no means find yourself in nature. 

“By 2030, we intention to make 100% of our packaging recyclable, reusable or renewable and obtain a recycling charge of 90 %. We have now actively made progress in direction of these targets via improvements like Snap Pack, which reduces our use of secondary plastic packaging by as much as 76 % in comparison with the earlier format — decreasing the danger of plastic ending up in nature.”

CMBC added that it “firmly” helps plans to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) throughout the U.Okay. 

Representatives from Tesco, Haribo, Mars, Heineken Holding and Purple Bull have been contacted for remark however had not responded at press time.