Index – Economy – Coca-Cola responds to accusations from hell



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“Coca-Cola Hungary believes in the widest possible selection of sustainable packaging, as this gives us the opportunity to provide the right packaging for every consumption occasion (eg on the go, at home, in a restaurant). Coca-Cola’s container portfolio is not limited to PET bottles, our solutions are extensive (aluminum, glass, PET or Tetra Pak). We are also working on packaging innovations such as paper bottles, the first live market test of which will take place in Hungary in the summer of 2021, ”replied Barnabás Csereklye, CEO of Coca-Cola Hungary, Hell Energy, to the index and to the press.

Where did all this start?

“While plastic pollution is at the forefront, Coca-Cola itself releases so many PET bottles that it is currently unable to fully recycle them due to lack of the necessary technology capabilities and collection systems. The biggest problem is that it tries to cover it up with loud communication campaigns and international awards, although in the 2020s it will no longer be possible to knock on the door of the circular economy with disposable plastic packaging, ”reads Barnabás Csereklye. Coca-Cola ”on Thursday.

It is a lesser known fact that PET bottles account for only 3% of all packaging waste in Hungary; therefore, it is important for Coca-Cola that no container is disposed of in nature.

We want to build a future in which packaging can be revitalized. However, we cannot achieve this cycle alone. The circular economy is based on cooperation, where we work with consumers, decision makers, industry and professional organizations for a common goal.

– the company writes in its answer, adding that That is why they are pleased that other industry players are committed to sustainability and expressing it.

“It is precisely our goal to do our best together. This is the only way to put aluminum cans and PET bottles in the proper containers and recycle them. To this end, we also seek an active dialogue with consumers, for example through our “Empty Bottle is Value” campaign mentioned by the CEO of Hell Energy. “

More than a thousand comments received on the company’s social media platforms show that sustainability is an important issue. “We answer the questions we receive, we learn from the criticism, we incorporate constructive suggestions.”

As they write, in the summer of 2019, they also launched their Waste Free Tisza initiative with the PET Cup and the National Water Directorate. For this, his global foundation provided around 73 million guilders, and the goal is to help collect and recycle at least 80 tons of waste in 2 years; According to your answer, this goal has almost been reached.

Sound the voices?

Barnabás Csereklye also mentions in his post that Coca-Cola is only referring to solid awards, such as that in 2020, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index again ranked Coca-Cola HBC as the most sustainable beverage company in Europe.

In fact, not just in 2020! The company has been on the podium among world and European soft drink manufacturers for the tenth year in a row, this is the seventh time it has ranked first in Europe.

– drew attention to the fact that “there is more to this than just charges, as the company’s innovation in recent years has led to 100% recyclability of all beverage packaging and a 15% reduction in the amount of plastic needed to make PET bottles. “

Coca-Cola Hungary has reduced the weight of aluminum beverage cans by 13 percent. Starting in 2020, the company will use almost 170 tonnes less aluminum per year for the packaging of canned soft drinks produced in Hungary and sold in 19 countries, significantly reducing the environmental impact of production and transport, and therefore the ecological footprint. total company. As a result of the reduction in secondary packaging material, in 2020 the amount of shrink film used to transport glass products to catering units decreased by 36 percent.

We agree with the opinion of Managing Director Barnabás Csereklye that a responsible manufacturer should invest its profits in appropriate investments as part of its environmental function.

– writes in its response the soft drink manufacturer, which spent almost 30,000 million HUF in national investments since the first strategic agreement signed with the government in 2012. Since then, the company has delivered one of the largest capacity soft drink production lines of the country and has built the largest food warehouse in Hungary, among others.

The ministry, then called the Ministry of National Economy, announced after signing the strategic partnership that the aim of the agreement was to ensure Coca-Cola Hungary’s long-term presence in Hungary in a spirit of mutual trust and predictability.

“As the above shows, we are not only” focusing “on raising consumer awareness, but on finding real solutions to the challenges of sustainability, and seeking all possible forms of dialogue and cooperation to achieve a circular economy”, concludes his response to the Coca-Cola index.

(Cover image: Hungarian Coca-Cola plant. Photo: Tarlacz Zoltán / Shutterstock)



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