France Nature Environment (FNE) files a complaint against Coca-Cola Europacific Partners France for deceptive commercial practices or “greenwashing”. In the midst of the sporting exploits of the Olympic Games, Coca-Cola achieved a very sad performance by offering a well-practiced choreography on its stands: pouring the contents of a plastic bottle into a cup, serving it to a person who then thinks they have it in their hands. possession of an ecological container, then throw the bottle out of sight. In the midst of the sporting exploits of the Olympic Games, Coca-Cola achieved a very sad performance by offering a well-practiced choreography on its stands: pouring the contents of a plastic bottle into a cup, serving it to a person who then thinks they have it in their hands. possession of an ecological container, then throw the bottle out of sight.
Result, millions of drinks sold by Coke and the undisputed medal of the first plastic polluter in the world. While the last trading session of the global treaty against plastic pollution started this Monday, FNE referred these facts to the Nanterre Public Prosecutor.
Hide these plastic bottles that I can't see
“Zero packaging waste at these Games”. A historic partner of the Olympic Games, Coca-Cola has communicated for months about its desire to revolutionize an edition that aims to be more sustainable than ever. An ecological objective accompanied by major announcements around drinks only served to spectators in reusable cups, the deployment of 700 fountains and the sale of reusable glass bottles. Alas, the reality is less green, a confidential document that FNE obtained revealing that more than 6 million drinks would be served from plastic bottles… while thousands of consumers would not be well aware of this.
The flame of the Games being extinguished, FNE now wants Coca-Cola to answer for its actions under the offense of deceptive commercial practices in the Consumer Code, which penalizes claims likely to mislead the consumer about the environmental impact of the product.
For Anne Roques, lawyer at France Nature Environnement: “France Nature Environnement is requesting a judicial investigation to shed light on whether or not Coca-Cola is respecting its environmental commitments during the 2024 Olympic Games.”
More broadly, FNE wishes to put an end to the impunity of industrial polluters who give themselves a false ecological image to consumers.
Big pollution means big responsibilities
Collect, recycle, communicate. Coca-Cola's strategy consists of hiding behind the argument of all recycling while the ecological emergency requires a reduction in the production of plastic bottles. In 2022, the Coca-Cola Group produced approximately 4,250 plastic bottles per second, consuming more than 3.4 million tonnes of plastics per year. Figures that are a dream for the oil world but which are a real nightmare for the planet as 460 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year with a recycling rate of less than 9%.
According to Axèle Gibert, waste expert at France Nature Environnement: “Coca-Cola boasted during the Games of 100% recycling of the bottles collected, but to live up to the event, it would have been necessary to limit the production of plastic bottles much more.”
Since Monday, representatives of countries and different lobbies have been sitting at the negotiating table for the Global Treaty Against Plastic Pollution. The multinational Coca-Cola must take responsibility and stop putting its economic interests above ecological needs. To ensure this, France Nature Environnement is launching a fight against the practices of manufacturers who mislead consumers about the real impact of plastic and will ensure that the stopper on the incessant production of plastic closes.
