France Nature Environnement announced that it had filed a complaint against Coca-Cola for deceptive commercial practices. The NGO criticizes the multinational for having emptied plastic bottles into cups despite the promise of “zero waste” Games.
The NGO France Nature Environnement filed a complaint in Nanterre against Coca-Cola, which it accuses of having deceived consumers during the 2024 Olympics by promising “zero waste” as a supplier of drinks despite the use of plastic bottles, announced the organization this Wednesday.
In a press release, the NGO details “a well-established choreography” by Coca-Cola: “pour the contents of a plastic bottle into a cup, serve it to a person who then thinks they have an ecological container in their possession, then throw the bottle out of sight. However, the boss of Coca-Cola France Mickaël Vinet had affirmed, in April on France Info, that he was aiming for “zero waste” during the Olympic Games, recalls the NGO.
“These allegations thus took on a misleading character, intended to improve the image of the brand in the eyes of the general public,” asserts France Nature Environnement in its complaint, consulted by AFP.
“Technical and logistical constraints”
Already criticized during the Games, the American company explained that it had to use plastic bottles on certain Olympic sites. The American giant had indicated in a press release that it was necessary to find the “best conditions of safety and food quality”, but also “to adapt to each site and its technical and logistical constraints”, citing among these arrivals water and electricity, the “available surface area” or “storage space”.
The non-alcoholic drinks giant had stated that these bottles would be “sorted and compacted in order to be recycled”. However, “plastic has an environmental impact from its production”, recalls Axèle Gibert, responsible for waste management at FNE, who also highlights the presence of microplastics in the liquids drunk in these bottles. She denounces a “double discourse” that we find “on the negotiations on the plastic treaty”.
In Busan (South Korea), representatives from 178 countries are working on this international treaty intended to eliminate plastic pollution. But if some countries want to aim for a reduction in production and the elimination of “unnecessary” plastics, others, including large oil producers, are opposed to any quantified objective on production.
