Beyond the blame Game: Collaborative action key to solving plastic crisis

The Coca-Cola Company's recent sustainability initiative "Naked For Now" has generated considerable social media engagement, both positive and negative. 

As a part of the trial, the company is removing labels from Sprite bottles in the UK to simplify recycling processes and reduce packaging materials. This pilot project includes Sprite and Sprite Zero 500 ml bottles that will temporarily have no labels. 

Instead, embossed logos will be present on the front of the bottles, while product information will be Laser engraved on the back.

Coca-Cola has pledged that these labelless (naked) bottles are produced using 100% recycled PET material (excluding the green caps) to reduce their environmental impact. Compared to their labelled counterparts, these naked bottles represent a 2% plastic weight reduction per bottle, which translates to a 2.8 kg of CO₂ decrease - equivalent for every 1,000 labelless bottles produced! 

This news has caused many in Bangladesh to accuse Coca-Cola of 'Greenwashing'. 

They believe the company is promoting a false impression of its environmental practices, mainly because Coca-Cola is often listed as one of the world's most significant contributors to plastic pollution. 

According to the 2022 Brand Audit report by Break Free From Plastic, over five years, more waste containing Coca-Cola branded products was found than the next two biggest polluters combined.

But how okay is it to put every ounce of the 'blame' on Coca-Cola, and not us the consumers at all? 

When it comes to littering, we cannot just blame Coca-Cola or any other producers of plastic bottles, because we the consumers also share responsibility to properly dispose of our waste and minimise environmental impact.

Make no mistake - plastic manufacturers should not be let off the hook by any means. However, as stakeholders, we need to work closely with them for formulating efficient recycling plans that will collectively help address plastic wastes. 

By collaborating with companies like Coca-Cola, we can leverage their resources and expertise to make a real difference in reducing the amount of plastic in our canals, rivers, and landfills.

In the past year, Unilever Bangladesh initiated several projects to establish a circular economy model focusing on single-use plastics, flexible packaging, and reducing plastic waste. 

In Dhaka, they introduced a BSTI-certified machine that enables consumers to refill shampoo and liquid hand wash as needed without relying on the company's plastic bottles. 

This is a great way to find alternatives to reduce the company's plastic footprint. 

As consumers, the practice we have been habituated into is to blame companies and manufacturers for every wrong but never reflect upon our own actions. A good example would be the commonplace criticism of the quality of local products and comparing them unfavourably to foreign products. 

People question factors such as price, quality, and durability. However, it is crucial to understand that local products can be just as good, if not better, than foreign products if we are willing to make the effort. Walton is an excellent example of this.

Unfortunately, our country's products and services suffer from our own misdeeds. 

Shockingly, only 4% of restaurants in Bangladesh meet the required food quality standards. Additionally, there is a concerning practice of using fabric dyes to colour food, which has been linked to cancer. Mango juice also uses chemicals and rotten pumpkins instead of real mangoes. 

Of course we will keep questioning and scrutinising Coca-Cola for their very negative environmental impact, but should we not work on becoming better societal role models ourselves first? 

We should understand that there is no dearth of laws and regulations when it comes to environmental protection. 

At the same time, we should admit that despite the efforts of the ministries, private sectors, civil society, and local government, significant progress in controlling the plastic burden has not been made for the last five decades - partly due to the "blame game".

It is high time we took a different approach. We must be transparent and honest instead of relying solely on regulatory frameworks. We should set examples by being accountable for our own actions and execute our shares of the responsibilities well.

Only by doing so we encourage others to follow Coca-Cola's footsteps while adopting ethical and sustainable business practices, no matter how small. 

In my opinion, Coca-Cola's "Naked for Now" campaign is a bold and eye-opening move towards sustainability. It could potentially inspire smaller companies to adopt collective best practices by taking small measures.

It is time to realise that we are all in this together, and only by working together can we create a better future for ourselves and future generations.

Shafiq R Bhuiyan is a senior manager of communication and CSR at BRAC Bank PLC.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.