The world’s top plastic polluters have been revealed in a new report, with the Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo and Nestle heading up the rundown for the third year in a row.
The BRANDED Vol III: Demanding Corporate Accountability for Plastic Pollution report from Break Free From Plastic found that communities around the world collected 346,494 pieces of plastic in 55 countries over the last 12 months.
As well as the three brands already mentioned, the top ten included Unilever, Mondelez, Mars, P&G, Philip Morris International, Colgate-Palmolive and Perfetti van Melle.
It was observed that these multinational corporations, and others, have to start taking full responsibility for the external cost of single-use plastic products, such as the environmental damage and the costs of waste collection and treatment. If the situation continues as it is, plastic production could doubly 2030 or even triple by 2050.
Co-founder of 5 Gyres Anna Cummins commented on the findings, saying: “Top polluters are complicit in damaging frontline communities and continuing to pump out packaging that damages people’s health, wealth and environment. We need a just transition off of fossil fuels, and towards a circular economy.”
In the UK alone, Coca-Cola generates approximately 37,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year but the manufacturers of plastic packaging and companies that use them only cover ten per cent of the recycling costs involved. The remainder of the costs are covered by you, the taxpayer.
While you may not be able to stop paying taxes, you can start being more mindful about the products you buy and which brands you choose to spend with. With 2021 just on the horizon, what about resolving to give up plastic and go for products with a lower environmental impact in the new year?
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