Beverage Giants Face Greenwashing Accusations
Coca-Cola, Danone, and Nestle are facing accusations of disseminating misleading information regarding their plastic water bottles' supposed "100% recycled" claim.
These allegations of greenwashing have prompted a legal complaint submitted to the European Commission by a consumer advocacy group and two environmental organisations.
The essence of the complaint centres on the assertion that these bottles are never truly crafted from entirely recycled materials, and their recyclability depends on various factors, including the presence of proper recycling infrastructure. Such practices of branding products as more environmentally friendly than they are, known as greenwashing, can mislead well-intentioned consumers seeking eco-friendly options to benefit the planet.
The specific claims under scrutiny are those made by these companies, declaring their single-use plastic water bottles to be either 100% recycled or 100% recyclable. The European Consumer Organisation, with the support of environmental groups Client Earth and ECOS, contends that these assertions are deceptive, especially when accompanied by eco-conscious imagery and branding.
The collective stance is that plastic water bottles in Europe are not consistently recycled into new bottles, and achieving a '100%' recycling rate for such bottles is technically unattainable. The mere use of recycled plastic in these bottles does not absolve them from causing harm to people and the planet. Rather than painting recycling as a cure-all for the plastic crisis, companies should prioritise efforts to reduce plastic at the source.
In response to these allegations, Coca-Cola stated that it is actively working to reduce its plastic packaging usage and investing in collecting and recycling equivalent amounts of the packaging it deploys. The company asserts that it only communicates information on its packaging that can be substantiated, with any relevant qualifications clearly displayed to empower consumers to make informed choices. Some of its packaging carries messages aimed at raising awareness about recycling, including information on recyclability and the use of recycled content.
A spokesperson for Nestlé emphasised their commitment to reducing plastic packaging, leading investments, supporting packaging circularity, and providing clear communication for consumers making informed choices. Nestlé has succeeded in reducing its virgin plastic packaging by 10.5% since 2018 and is on track to achieve a one-third reduction in virgin plastic by the end of 2025.
Danone, in a statement, expressed a strong belief in the circularity of packaging and affirmed its ongoing investments and leadership in advocating for improved collection and recycling infrastructure alongside its partners.
If the European Commission validates the complaint, it can coordinate a response involving national consumer authorities, who can then take appropriate action. Possible measures include requesting the companies to rectify the situation or imposing fines within their respective jurisdictions. The European Commission, however, lacks the authority to impose its penalties directly.
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Source: BBC
