'Coca-Cola, Pepsi among most branded litter'

Coca-Cola and Pepsi are among the 12 companies said to be responsible for most of the branded packaging litter in the UK, claims a new survey according to a survey, which also highlighted that almost half of the packaging collected was also part of deposit return scheme.

According to ocean conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage, Coca-Cola and Pepsi are among the 12 companies said to be responsible for 70 percent of branded packaging litter in the UK.

The data recorded over the past 12 months saw almost 4,000 citizen science volunteers collecting litter across 13,000 miles of the UKs coastline, countryside, streets, rivers and green spaces. Nearly half of the packaging collected was also found to be part of a deposit return scheme, in which consumers are charged an additional deposit fee when they purchase a drink in a single-use container that can be redeemed when the drink is returned for recycling.

In response to the data, Surfers Against Sewage is calling on the government to introduce an all-in deposit return scheme covering drinks packaging of all sizes and materials as an incentive for consumers to recyclye.

“Year after year, our citizen science brand audit reveals the same huge companies are responsible for the packaging pollution choking our environment,” Surfers Against Sewage chief executive, Hugo Tagholm said.

“Despite public sustainability commitments, these dirty brands are failing to take meaningful action to stop this harm. We cannot stand for this blatant greenwashing any longer. Systemic change is urgently needed to end the pollution swamping the land and ocean.”

“Businesses need to take responsibility for their polluting products and transition to models of reduction and reuse," he added.

In response to the data, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said that Coca-Cola Company acknowledges that it has a responsibility to help solve this issue.

“Today, all of our packaging is 100 percent recyclable and our aim is to get more of it back so that it can be recycled and turned into new packaging again.

“It’s disappointing to see any packaging being littered and that’s why we fully support the introduction of a well-designed deposit return scheme, which we know from results in other countries will encourage people to recycle, rather than litter or throw away.”