Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

A lot of discussion on this thread revolves around whose responsibility it is to ensure clean-up of plastic waste (producers or consumers) while ignoring the fact that companies are using a material that lasts 10,000 years for items that are single-use. That should be outright illegal unless there are literally no alternatives.

The survey found that 10 companies were responsible for more than half of the identifiably branded rubbish found on the UK’s beaches.&quot;<p>But are they? Isn&#x27;t this shifting the blame from the end user that improperly disposes of their trash to the company? Sure, they could do more to reduce packaging issues, but in the end, it is the consumer that is tossing these things out rather than recycling them.

The beverage industry knows they have a festering PR problem. I recently got a random poll from the American Beverage Association. They were primarily interested in understanding how people feel about the industry’s sustainability (or lack thereof). The good news is based on some of the questions they asked it sounds like they’re considering bringing back glass containers.

Just spent 2 weeks on Sabah, Borneo. Even the very remote beaches hours away from large human settlements are littered with plastic bottles and grocery bags. While diving you often see bags floating around. Both, on the surface and below.<p>Ironically even the island hopping boat carried a tray of bottled water for anyone to take. Not sure what % of bottles gets left behind at the end of the day.<p>Maybe a small deposit on each bottle would help to essentially pay people to collect them.

I was a little surprised when traveling in India the first time and I got a soda. They expect you to wait and give them back the glass bottle once you’re done. This was at a local stand, of course there’s plastic bottles elsewhere.<p>At first it felt weird, but then I realized how much better it is for everyone and for the environment to reuse glass bottles. The bottles are washed and reused and even if they ended up in the ocean, we’ll, the world was none the worst for it.<p>It made me sad we moved away from this. I’d love to see glass used more often again for drinks.

Good read about how, as far back as the 50&#x27;s, the beverage industry used the &quot;Keep America Beautiful&quot; campaign to shift blame and responsibility for pollution onto consumers: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.chicagotribune.com&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;commentary&#x2F;ct-perspec-indian-crying-environment-ads-pollution-1123-20171113-story.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.chicagotribune.com&#x2F;opinion&#x2F;commentary&#x2F;ct-perspec...</a>

That&#x27;s an interesting article.<p>I remember that years ago a project at the University of Arizona was doing archaeological work on landfills. It turned out that surprising amount of the non-degrading material found once you dug down a bit was telephone books.

Why can&#x27;t we just go to 100% aluminium for beverage packaging? The technology and supply chains etc. are already in place.

Even with zero packaging, their product is addictive poison. Buffett has spoken proudly of how, normally the human body would not be able to drink that much sugar without getting immediately sick, but the coke formula overcomes that sugar overload response. Disgusting.

Why don&#x27;t more drinks come in reusable glassware and milk crates? Are single use cans and cardboard packages cheaper? Safer?

Remember the McDonald&#x27;s styrofoam crisis of the 1980&#x27;s?<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;1987&#x2F;11&#x2F;11&#x2F;nyregion&#x2F;mcdonald-s-is-urged-to-alter-packaging.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;1987&#x2F;11&#x2F;11&#x2F;nyregion&#x2F;mcdonald-s-is-ur...</a>

20k identifiable pieces of trash, small sample size. Even if it&#x27;s good math ~ perhaps its a numbers game of popularity in brands? Coke was 15% Pepsi 10% ... and I&#x27;m sure other brands of aluminum can waste we&#x27;re their proportional share..

Coke still tastes better from glass bottles.<p>Glass bottles are reuseable.<p>Hang on, why not use glass?

Technically, Coca-Cola consumers are the most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches. That&#x27;s a lot different than what the title states. Since Coca-cola is the largest seller of beverages in containers, it only is common sense that would be true. But hey, blame Coke. Let&#x27;s blame the ocean for people drowning as well, or the local utilities for people being electrocuted or gravity for people falling to their death.

I noticed the other day that garbage is everywhere - and it&#x27;s pretty much ALL packaging of one form or another.

…on UK beaches.

The negative externalities of Warren Buffet&#x27;s fortune are truly cataclysmic for the environment.

How about &quot;Litterers most common source of pollution on beaches&quot;?

Thank goodness.<p>Finally, somebody with some clout is pointing fingers at the largest contributor to garbage... the corporations who produce it.<p>I live in Canada and Tim Horton&#x27;s cups literally litter every street corner in every big city in our country.<p>I have always thought that they should be responsible for the cleanup of those cups.<p>It is absolutely their fault that their customers are throwing their products onto our ground.<p>Why should our overburdened local governments carry the cost of picking up a profitable business&#x27; garbage?