UN Investigates Coca-Cola’s Switch from Glass to Plastic Bottle

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Coca-Cola Europacific Partners has been charged by the UN for contributing to plastic pollution in Samoa by substituting single-use plastic bottles for reusable glass ones.

Samoa is estimated to use around 7,000 tonnes of plastic annually. Nearly 16% of all garbage is made up of plastics, the majority of which being polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. A large portion of plastic garbage is unlawfully disposed of in landfills, burned, or dumped. By the way, Tafaigata, the primary landfill in Upolu, is rapidly filling up.

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Samoa has a limited capability for recycling, according to a letter from Marcos Orellana, the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics & Human Rights. The island nation faces a number of challenges in recycling and trash management, such as a lack of resources and expensive transportation.

A reusable glass bottle system was formerly introduced by Coca-Cola Amatil Limited. Under this system, customers had to pay a deposit when purchasing a bottled drink, which was refunded when the bottle was returned empty. Reusable glass bottles were swapped out for plastic bottles after Coca-Cola European Partners acquired Coca-Cola Amatil Limited.