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Davos (Switzerland) (AFP)
The bosses of Coca-Cola and Pepsi promised Thursday that "tremendous progress" would be made by 2030 to reduce plastic waste, which contaminates humans, wildlife and oceans.
Soft Drink Arrivals James Quincey and Ramon Laguarta participated in a panel discussion on the economics of plastics, a recurring theme at the World Economic Forum in Davos, with Jim Fitterling, head of Dow Chemical, and others.
These three companies are part of the new alliance to eliminate plastic waste announced with great fanfare in mid-January by thirty multinationals.
"We can reduce the amount of plastics in the system, both in our beverages and in our fast food business," said Laguarta de Pepsico.
"I am quite optimistic by 2030 that we will … solve the problem," he added.
The new Plastic Waste Elimination Alliance, which also includes major energy, petrochemical and plastic companies, has announced a $ 1 billion (€ 880 million) donation to "minimize and manage waste plastics and promote solutions for used plastics ".
About eight million tons of plastic are thrown into the sea each year, according to the Earth Day Defense Group – the equivalent of a trash truck load every minute.
Activists and green experts are skeptical about corporate intentions such as Procter & Gamble, Chevron and ExxonMobil, and have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the alliance cleanup plan.
Quincey, CEO of Coca-Cola, however, said that the group's joint commitment already has benefits.
"There are countries where we have already solved the problem," he said.
The bosses said that there was no question of giving up the plastic completely.
"We need to recover the plastic bottles," recycle them and create a circular economy, "Quincey said.
The pressure to ban the plastic however increases.
The European Union wants to ban some single – use plastics such as plates, cutlery and straws for drinking by the end of 2021.
Experts claim that 80% of all waste in the oceans is plastic, largely derived from items such as plastic shopping bags or single-use cold drink bottles.
© 2019 AFP
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