to be disappointed in coca cola

[ToTravelIsToLive]

They have announced they will not ditch single use plastic due to them being light weight and resealable. Every second 20,000 drinks in plastic bottles are purchased so even just ditching their mini plastic bottles for glass or alternative would make a huge difference! They are the global leader so could have set a precedent for others. When we were on holiday in Kenya they only gave out glass and you returned your bottle to the shop for a % of your money back. This was even in the most rural areas! In Germany I always remember seeing vending machines that you returned glass bottles to for € so it is possible.

YABU - I like the convenience of plastic and agree with coca cola

YANBU - I would not be put off / I would be more inclined to buy their products if they were in a more environmentally friendly package.

I would prefer to see recycling actually done properly. I buy a lot of plastic bottled drinks. I put my empties into the recycling but I have to use a communal dumpster bin as I live in a block of flats and 90% of the time the bin is full of non recycling stuff because people just don't seem to care. Even in the properties with individual bins don't seem to do it properly either. My London borough is apparently one of the worse for recycling levels. Rubbish that could be recycled is dumped anywhere and everywhere. It's revolting and annoying. Oh and I live in what would be considered an area with well educated middle class folks so it's not like 'they don't understand'. It's just lazy and not caring.
Plastic, glass or can? Won't make a frigging difference if people can't be arsed to put things in the correct bins.

Coca Cola have also released their 'signiture collection', which come in glass bottles for a 'fancy mixer', but obviously the price reflects that and its aimed for the adults drinks market. As pp stated they're following the supply and demand we all create so I don't think coke will be rolling out 'pop wagons' for refills anytime soon. Pop used to be a 'treat' it's not anymore. Good to hear that Scotland is reverting to the glass system though. We also had a soda stream when I was young (also a treat so the gas cannisters lasted forever).

People frequently get mixed up between climate impact (emissions) and litter impact (waste).

Plastic and aluminium both have pretty bad climate impact (in the top 4 industries for emissions after cement and steel) but as highlighted, transporting heavy glass will likely offset any emissions savings in manufacturing. So from a climate point of view it is debatable what is best.

From a litter point of view, recycling is clearly better, and glass also breaks down pretty quickly naturally so it is a clear winner.

So it depends which angle you are assessing it from.

As an aside, I recently saw a survey where people ranked reusing/recycling plastic as the single biggest action an individual could take against climate change. This is completely wrong - from an emissions perspective its impact is tiny (having fewer children is the right answer by the way, followed by fewer long haul flights). But from an “environmental” ie. litter perspective it is much more important.

Best answer - don’t buy in the first place.

I don’t think glass is a good alternative unless you are reusing rather than recycling (which I don’t think will go down well with British consumers). Resealable cans would be better in that they aren’t as heavy and still recyclable. Ultimately though the commercial reality is that people who drink coke regularly aren’t going to concerned about the impact it has on the environment, otherwise they wouldn’t buy it at all.

@ToTravelIsToLive Scotland are usually the first in the UK for "new" things... We were the first to ban smoking in public places, we're the first in the UK to make smacking your own child illegal, now we're going to add a monetary value to recycling plastics for the first time. (Barrs glass bottles were mostly recycled when it gave "cash" back)

As I say, if only the bottles were the worst thing about them.

This was my first thought

@retroflex There was a bright blue one, I can't imagine that we'd still enjoy that!

Only 9% of plastic ever gets recycled.

@WhatHaveIFound "Plastic bottles can't be used to make more bottles."

They can though? And in the announcement by Coca-Cola, they have pledged to recycle as many plastic bottles as it uses by 2030, and to use at least 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030

Glass is worrying sadly from a damage to other people point of view. Many bars no longer use glass glasses because they happen to be a handy weapon. Empty glass bottles in bins and on the streets also make a handy weapon. Sad to be thinking that way but it has to be considered. They way forward is resuable drinking bottles and buying large filling up at home plus far more recycling.

YANBU
And YABU for not offering the option
"close down the entire issue by not drinking the filthy brew & boycotting the corporate polluter."

Sodastream are having a revival at the moment for this very reason. They also sell reusable bottles to make and take drinks out of home etc branded "this is my only bottle".

I had one as a child, then had one as a wedding present 20 years ago. It is still here, but I have no idea if it works. I have seriously been considering getting another one, as I drink sparkling water out of 2l bottles, so it would save a lot of recycling and can still be made and stored in the fridge to serve chilled.

I don't have issues with buying 500ml when out and about, if I want a coke I never want to drink it all in one go, so a bottle with a lid is preferable to a tin or a glass one with a metal cap.

@Reginabambina "Ultimately though the commercial reality is that people who drink coke regularly aren’t going to concerned about the impact it has on the environment, otherwise they wouldn’t buy it at all."

The same could be said about any consumer buying any item...

How much recycling is done in America?

Is it as much of a 'thing' there as it is here and some parts of Europe?

Oh god yes . Sodastream , I remember now.

We used to take our bottles back to the shops and they recycled them and we got a bit of cash for each returned bottle . I think they were glass at first but then became plastic . Why not a return to that ?

I'm another saying YABU... as this most definotely not the worst thing about the company and its profit making practices!

Google coca cola and water

If you only want to read one fact try this one

It take 3 litres of water to make 1 litre of coca cola but that's just the water in the bottle. Taking into account the whole manufacturing process, from growing the sugar cane up it takes about 70 litres of water to make 1 litre of coca cola - numbers based on their own research... guess which figure they use to 'rebalance' their water use!

I used ot nly have 1 hobby horse - Nestle and baby milk. But for about 20 years I have had tandem horses... Nestle and Coca Cola - both are directly responsible for the deaths of children!

How easy is it to recycle the CO2 canister from Sodastream?

@sweeneytoddsrazor I've said earlier that I love my "chilly's" bottles, they can keep hot drinks hot for 12 hours and cold drinks for 24 hours!

The problem I have with "discarded" glass bottles, is that the glass is a hazard for my dogs paws!

@Sweeneytoddrazor I believe you can post off the soda stream gas cannisters, or exchange at Argos (obviously for the price of new). They then get refilled and put back out into circulation.

Use this link to find places near you that will take them. Sorry it is so long...

support.sodastream.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360009091214-What-do-I-do-when-my-gas-cylinder-runs-out-of-CO2-?utm_source=RAN&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_content=PPkX79%2Fcb0&utm_campaign=10&ranMID=42748&ranEAID=PPkX79%2Fcb0&ranSiteID=PPkX79_c.b0-DfNc9QEwcbSRv2Fj_yl87g&LSNSUBSITE=Omitted_PPkX79%2Fc*b0&juneoffer=1635394

Yanbu but Coca Cola are a huge and corrupt company - what did you expect?

The best way to drink coke (if you must) is from the tap dispenser in the pub. It is shipped as concentrate so minimal packaging and less transportation footprint, it is dispensed and mixed at point of service with local water into a reusable glass. It also supports a local business.

We use Sodastream at home to make our own cola and other fizzy drinks. It works quite well and the drinks are good. Even my picky kids like the cola.

I remember reading that in the old Soviet Union the soft drink vending machines dispensed your purchase into a glass that was connected to the machine by a chain. So you drank it right then and there then the next person used it. That's very eco friendly but probably spread a lot of cold and flu viruses.

@sweeneytoddsrazor you used to take them back to shops who sold them and you'd get a discount from your next one if I'm remembering the 80's correctly

The bigger question to me is why milk is still being sold in plastic containers? I imagine more people buy milk than coke. Most other countries (or the one's I've been to at least) put it in cardboard cartons that are recyclable.

For me personally, I hate drinks in plastic bottles, I think it tastes a bit "off". So if I do ever buy fizzy drinks its either cans or glass bottles.