Greenpeace Australia has launched a new campaign to tell the nation about the killing power the Coca-Cola’s plastic packaging. Australians are encouraged to sign petitions to authorities, asking them to support actual actions against plastic bottles pollution and making Coca-Cola be kind to the local nature.
Soft drink brands are the major contributors to the plastic contamination of the sea. An estimated two-thirds of Australian marine birds are affected by such waste—most of them starve to death with their stomach full of plastic pieces from bottles and packs. The environmental organization believes that the national “Cash for Containers” scheme, which is based on the refundable 10c to each bottle idea, can improve the situation. Coca-Cola is one of the leaders in the soft drinks industry, still it is sabotaging the scheme in Northern Australia, as Greenpeace claims.
The new campaign, “Stop Trashing Australia” includes a shocking 45-sec ad featuring dead seabirds falling from the sky just after people on the beach have enjoyed their bottle of Coke. The spot invites the audience to visit the dedicated page on the Greenpeace website and sign a petition to MPs, asking them to support a 10c recycling refund scheme. The letter also includes a call to “tell the State Premier and the Environment Minister to stand up to Coca Cola’s aggressive opposition based on their self-interest.”
The statement reads that South Australia has already adopted the scheme which results in over 80% of bottles going to the recycling plants, more than twice the rate of other states. The effect is visible, but for Coca-Cola this picture is not that important, Greenpeace believes. The soft drinks giant is said to be bullying politicians and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to hush up recycling advocates. The organization reports that beverage producers led by Coca-Cola have even taken the Northern Territory Government to court over their scheme, which has already proven to be effective and increased recycling in the region.
“Behind Coke’s slogans and sunshine, the beverage giant is trashing Australia,” commented Reece Turner, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific. “Coke’s efforts to crush this scheme are brazen and damaging to the environment. The benefits of recycling refund schemes are well known and we hope people will agree—further delay can’t be stomached.”
Greenpeace is also asking the nation make a donation of $30, $60, $100 or other to help put the ad «Stop Coca-Cola trashing Australia» on air. The spot, posted on YouTube on May 5, has been viewed more than 780,000 times.