In 2020, Forbes named the worst plastic contributors in the world. Ranking number 1 on the list was the iconic American company, Coca-Cola. On average, Coca-Cola produces 2.9 million metric tons of plastic packaging each year. This is 600,000 metric tons more than the runner-up Pepsico. This means, the company produces about 200,000 plastic bottles a minute. These are numbers so big they are hard for the average person to fathom.

After the company came under scrutiny for the climate crisis in 2021, they advertised a new “sip-sized” bottle, which claims to be made from recycled plastics and is smaller than their traditional plastic bottles. This jump aimed to decrease their plastic production by 20%, but in reality, small plastic bits and pieces are just as bad, if not worse than larger plastic bottles according to Emma Priestland, Break Free From Plastic’s campaign coordinator. When it comes to recycling systems and plants, small bottles increase the difficulty of actually re-using the plastics. Their so-called 20% decrease is basically a PR scheme, as their mini plastic bottle production still places them as the number 1 plastic polluter in the world (Dezeen, 2021).

More recently, Coca-Cola has pledged to use 50% recycled material in their packaging by 2030. This is almost comical as companies such as Evian have pledged to use 100% recycled materials by 2025 (Deezen, 2020). By placing their goal so far away, Coca-Cola is again using PR strategies to remove themselves from the spotlight, directing attention to other climate issues.

As for Coca-Cola’s aluminum use (the more sustainable method), The Guardian highlights how it is unclear on their true reasons for refusing a full switch to the 90% recyclable way of packaging. According to Scott Vitters, who works on Coca-Cola’s sustainability team, their main, and only, public argument against a switch is convenience. In other words, consumers in a hurry want something that won’t spill. So I ask you, do you want to be part of saving the place we call home, or do you want to avoid an accidental Coke stain on your white shirt?

As you can see, Coca-Cola is a huge threat to our environment and a huge player in The Great Plastic Garbage Patch that lives in the North Pacific Ocean. As a UCSB student, we all love and respect the place we call home, especially the ocean. As a school, we were named 3rd out of the nation’s top 50 “green schools” by Princeton Review. This is why I feel that this is the perfect community to spread awareness of Coca-Cola’s actions. By signing this petition, you are supporting an initiative that calls out Coca-Cola’s CEO, James Quincey, and applies pressure to one of the biggest companies in the world. Please sign my petition today!