Greenpeace slams Coca-Cola in print ads

By By Wenlei Ma | 7 March 2013
 
Greenpeace's newspaper ads hit out at Coca-Cola Amatil for the company's opposition to a NT recycling scheme.

Activist group Greenpeace has hit back at Coca-Cola Amatil with full page graphic ads in today's newspapers over the Federal Court decision to overrule Northern Territory's recycling scheme.

The full-page ad graphically depicts the stomach contents of a dead flesh-footed shearwater bird, which contained plastic waste. The ads were fully-funded by supporter donations and appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Coca-Cola Amatil, Coca-Cola's bottling partner in the region, is under fire from consumers and environment groups over its stance on the Northern Territory's 'Cash for Containers' program which refunds consumers 10 cents for each container recycled.

Earlier this week, the Federal Court sided with Coca-Cola Amatil, Schweppes and Lion which opposed the scheme. A similar scheme has been running successfully in South Australia for the past 30 years where recycling rates are significantly higher than the national average.

On Monday, representatives from environment organisations including Greenpeace and Clean Up Australia staged a protest outside the bottling company's North Sydney headquarters. Coca-Cola Australia's Facebook page has been the target of online dissent.

Greenpeace campaigner Reece Turner said: “The spotlight is now on the state premiers, especially Barry O'Farrell and Ted Baillieu, to stand up to Coke's relentless bullying and take action to protect the environment from Coke's blatant corporate self-interest.

“With only five weeks until environment ministers meet on 11 April to decide on a national roll-out of 'Cash for Containers', these premiers must decide whether they side with Coke or the community.”

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu resigned last night and was replaced by Denis Napthine.

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