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Fw: GP Pacific Action on Coca-Cola
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--- Loop-Detect: GreenYes:98/150 ----------------------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 15:10:54 -0400 From: "Bill Sheehan" <bill_sheehan@mindspring.com> Subject: Fw: GP Pacific Action on Coca-Cola
[forwarded from Cahrlie Cray]
GREENPEACE RETURNS THOUSANDS OF PLASTIC BOTTLES TO COCA-COLA
July 31, 1998 Suva - Greenpeace together with concerned Suva residents delivered thousands of used plastic Coca-Cola bottles to the doorstep of Coca-Cola Amatil's main office in Laucala Beach today. A banner reading "Next Time, Use Glass!" was displayed behind the mountain of bottles and a plastic monster made by local artists. A letter complaining about the introduction of PET plastic bottles without the promised recycling scheme in place, and calling upon Coca-Cola to stick with glass, was delivered to the Coca-Cola management. Greenpeace said that staff, students and street kids had collected the bottles from rubbish bins and those thrown on the ground around the streets of Suva and at public events such as football matches.
Greenpeace estimates that there are at least a million plastic Coke bottles already out around Fiji and all these plastic bottles would either end up in the landfill at Lami, on the side of the road or in the sea. Coca-Cola Amatil introduced the plastic PET bottles two months ago and promoted it along with assurances that it was an environmentally sound move because the bottles can and would be recycled in the Coca-Cola recycling plant in New Zealand. "So far there is no sign of any recycling or buy-back scheme in place for these bottles and without that they are an environmental disaster", said Craig Pratt of Greenpeace. "Glass bottles can be recycled, there is already a system in place and if they do end up in the landfill they will eventually biodegrade. Other than Coca-Cola's profit, there is no environmental argument that justifies the replacement of biodegradable glass with this plastic", he said.
Greenpeace said that Coca-Cola Amatil was not the only company that had switched from glass to plastic and not one had established any recycling scheme. "The difference made by the Coca-Cola plastic bottles is particularly noticeable because of the huge advertising campaign that has gone with their introduction, and the assurances made about recycling," Greenpeace said. "It is false economy for companies like Coca-Cola to promote PET over glass, the cost has simply been passed onto the people of Fiji and their backyard, which is now littered with this garbage. It should be against the law", said Greenpeace.
Continued Overleaf Producer responsibility is increasingly being recognised as an essential aspect of pollution prevention in many countries particularly in Europe. Greenpeace would like to see the Fiji government:
=B7 Educate consumers to choose glass over plastic because plastic is not biodegradable no matter how many times it is recycled, glass is;
=B7 Until a plastic that is biodegradable is produced, offer incentives to companies to keep glass in use because it is more environmentally sound; =B7 Introduce immediately producer responsibility for companies so that they have the legal responsibility for their product and its packaging from production to disposal. This would mean that PET bottles could not be introduced until there was a recycling scheme in place.
For more information contact: Craig Pratt Greenpeace Pacific Phone: 922 642 (M) 312 861 (Office)
Angenette Heffernan Campaigner Greenpeace Pacific PMB, Suva Fiji Islands
Ph: 679 312 861, Fax: 679 312 784 Email: Angenette.Heffernan@dialb.greenpeace.org Internal: Angenette.Heffernan@dialb.gl3
Charlie Cray Greenpeace US Toxics Campaign 417 S. Dearborn Suite 420 Chicago, IL 60605 Ph: (312) 554-1027 Fx: (312) 554-1224 e-mail address: Charlie.Cray@dialb.greenpeace.org Greenpeace International's new Toxics Web site: http://www.greenpeace.org/~toxics Greenpeace US Toxics Web Site: http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/campaigns/~toxics
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Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 04:03:36 -0700 (PDT) From: Cyndi Roper <croper@cleanwater.org> Subject: unsubscribe greenyes
delete green yes Cyndi Roper Michigan Director Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund 4990 Northwind Dr., Suite 210 East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone (517) 337-4447 Fax (517) 337-2833 croper@cleanwater.org
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End of GreenYes Digest V98 #150 ******************************