Coca-Cola and Nestle Accused of Lying

(DailyDig.com) – Companies including Coke, Danone, and Nestle were all singled out for making exaggerated claims regarding the recyclability of the plastic used in their water bottles.

Companies are suspected of greenwashing if they promote something to be more eco-friendly or sustainable than it actually is. This misleads customers looking to reduce their environmental impact.

The European Commission has received a complaint about suspected greenwashing from environmental organizations. They claim that the containers are never constructed from completely recycled content.

The complaint alleges that the firms have misrepresented the recycled content or recyclable nature of the plastic single-use water bottles they sell. This is deceptive, according to environmental NGOs ECOS and Client Earth, especially when coupled with green branding or photos.

They argue the bottles are not built totally of materials that were recycled, and the capacity to recycle them relies on a variety of circumstances, including the existing infrastructure. Technically, it would be impossible to achieve a full one hundred percent recycling rate for bottles.

Coca-Cola has pledged to lessen its reliance on plastic packaging and has made investments in the collection and recycling of the material equivalent of its plastic packaging.

Danone has said that they are committed to the sustainability of packaging and, together with their partners, will continue to invest and spearhead the push for improved collection of plastic bottles and recycling infrastructure.

Nestlé has said that they are actively working to lessen their reliance on plastic packaging. Since 2018, they have cut down on their use of non-recycled (virgin) plastic in packaging by 10.5 percent, and they are on schedule to use 30 percent less of it by the conclusion of 2025.

The European Commission may coordinate relations with national consumer agencies to take action if it finds that the complaint is justified. Companies may be asked to make corrections. They may also face penalties levied within the country’s boundaries. The commission has no independent authority to levy fines.