Coca-Cola and Pepsi top the world's biggest plastic polluters

Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Nestle have been named the top three plastic polluters in the world for the third year in a row, reveals the annual audit form Break Free From Plastic. Break Free From Plastic is a global movement of about 200 NGOs that check and monitor the exposed plastic waste by large companies.

Coca-Cola among them was the top contributor of plastic as the number of its beverage plastic bottles found discarded on beaches, rivers, parks and other places were more than that of Pepsi and Nestle combined. The annual report was done with the help of 15,000 volunteers from around the world who identified and recorded the branding found on littered plastic waste. From the 36,494 pieces of plastic collected 63 per cent of them had branding of their companies.

Coca-Cola earlier this year was condemned by environmentalist for its statement of refusing to abandon plastic bottles as it said many of its consumers still prefer them. However, all the top three companies said they were investing more in the recycling infrastructure and denied the claim of not making any progress.

Emma Priestland, global corporate campaigns coordinator of Break Free From Plastic while announcing the annual report 2020 said, "The world's top polluting corporations claim to be working hard to solve plastic pollution, but instead they are continuing to pump out harmful single-use plastic packaging."

According to a 2017 study, 91 per cent of the plastic produced is non-recyclable and ends up being incinerated or buried. When incinerated, it pollutes the atmosphere with harmful chemicals and when buried it contaminates the soil. The only solution lying ahead to cease the global flow of plastic onto earth is to stop the production, phase out one time use plastic waste and strictly implement reuse system and the production of whatever it is that cannot be reused must be stopped without hesitation.

The other brands in the Top Ten List include Unilever, Mars, P&G, Modelez International. Colgate, Perfetti and Philip Morris.