Australia: Greenpeace and Coca Cola Fight Over Recycling Plan

Northern Territories In Australia had put a recycling plan in place. The Consumer was charged 10 cents extra for beverages. They received the money back when they returned the beverage container for recycling.

Despite the program already doubling recycling rates in the Northern Territory and operating successfully in South Australia for 30 years, Coke has taken the NT Government to court and effectively put the scheme on hold.

ANGRY consumers are flooding social media with threats to boycott Coca Cola after the company's court win to dismantle the NT container deposit scheme.

The Federal Court ruled in favour of the beverage company after it argued the NT Government's 10c deposit recycling scheme - introduced in January 2012 and similar to a scheme that has been running in South Australia since 1977 - was costly and ineffective.

Coke had argued the extra 10 cents added to its products was unfair to consumers, despite the fee being refundable.

The soft drink company yesterday had to call police to break up a protest led by Clean Up Australia chairman Ian Kiernan and Greenpeace CEO David Ritter at its Sydney headquarters.

But it's having a harder time dealing with the angry mob online. Hundreds of people have flooded the company's Facebook page with furious messages and complaints, with many users pledging to never buy Coke products again.One user posted a picture of a dead bird with a cut open stomach full of plastic waste, along with the message "Brought to you by Coca Cola".

Earlier today, Mr Kiernan and a small group of environmental activists tried to dump 4000 beverage containers at Coke's HQ.The containers had been collected on Clean Up Australia day on the weekend, and were a symbol of the litter which would accumulate if Coke overturned the NT recycling scheme.Coke didn't think much of the reminder, calling in eight members of the NSW police to block the small band of high-profile protesters

The protest and today's court decision dates back to January 4, 2012, when the Northern Territory introduced a deposit system to encourage people to recycle cans and bottles. Coca-Cola Amatil, along with Schweppes Australia and Lion Pty Ltd, were not impressed with the scheme and took it to the Federal Court.

Coke argued the scheme was a failure, with only 33 per cent of containers recycled.But Ian Kiernan and others believe the real reason for the beverage giants' opposition to the scheme was that they didn't like the extra 10 cents added to the retail price.

Coca-Cola Amatil said "container deposit schemes have consistently been found to be the most expensive and inefficient method of increasing recycling rates."

It added "Australian families do not deserve to be slugged with yet another cost of living increase that will push grocery prices up when there are cheaper and equally effective alternatives on the table.

But a spokesman from Greenpeace, Reece Turner, said it was an absurdity for Coke to talk about cost of living issues when consumers get a refund."It is the height of corporate arrogance, and any claims Coke makes in future about sustainability have been completely trashed."

Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on 11 April in New Zealand. A national ‘Cash for Containers’ scheme is on the table for state and territory premiers to discuss - but with the beverage industry lobby pushing hard to crush the scheme we’re worried the scheme won’t pass.

Australians want this scheme - over 80% have voted in favour of it in recent polls.

This graphic Greenpeace ad was pulled from Australia's channel 9  

According to Food Quality News Coke put up a phony web site where you could support the recycling plan but your cursor would not go over the button to support recycling.