Why Coca-Cola will continue to use plastic bottles

Coca- Cola’s senior vice president and communications and sustainability officer, Bea Perez has highlighted reasons the company will not ban the use of plastic bottles in packaging their product to their customers.

Perez said during the 2020 World Economic Forum held at Davos, Switzerland, that Coca-Cola will not ditch single-use plastic bottles because consumers still want them.

Be innovative in discharging your duties, BPE boss charges staff

‘’Customers like them because they reseal and are lightweight,’’ she said.

Perez believes that many consumers still prefer them and business will not be running smoothly, if they don’t accommodate consumers.

However, Coke has pledged to use at least 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030. It is also partnering with non-governmental organisations, NGOs, around the world to help improve collection.

But Perez said the firm could not ditch plastic outright, as some campaigners wanted, saying this could alienate customers and hit sales.

She also said using only aluminium and glass packaging could push up the firm’s carbon footprint.

“Business won’t be in business if we don’t accommodate consumers,’’ she said.

Reacting to the campaign by a 19-year-old, Melati Wijsen, who with her sister Isabel, convinced the Island of Bali to ban single-use plastic bags, straws and styrofoam last year, Perez said she respected the idealism of youth activists but the company will continue to use plastic bottles for now because of consumer demand.

“As we change our bottling infrastructure, move into recycling and innovate, we also have to show the consumer what the opportunities are. They will change with us,’’ said Perez.

Coca-Cola also has not shared plans that show it plans to eliminate single-use plastics soon. However, the company does plan to make its products from 50% recycled materials by 2030.

A report from Break Free from Plastic found that Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo were the top plastic polluters globally. The report was based on data collected from cleanup efforts in more than 50 countries.

However, Break Free from Plastic believes that recycling is not enough to solve the plastic pollution problem. Instead, it wants corporations to stop relying on single-use plastic products.

As more cities and countries move toward single-use plastic bans, companies will be forced to make changes. Seattle and other cities have already banned plastic straws. California banned plastic bags in 2014, and New York and Hawaii plan to ban them by 2020.

Meanwhile, India plans to eliminate all single-use plastic by 2022. Eventually, there may be bans on every type of single-use plastic that is not deemed necessary. Once these rules go into effect, corporations will have no choice but to find alternatives.