It wasn't me! Actually it was

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé were the most frequent companies identified in 239 clean-ups and brand audits spanning 42 countries and six continents according to the Break Free From Plastic movement. Coca-Cola was the top polluter in the global audit, with Coke-branded plastic pollution found in 40 of the 42 participating countries. This brand audit effort is the most comprehensive snapshot of the worst plastic polluting companies around the world.

The audits found that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone, Mondelez International, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Perfetti van Melle, Mars Incorporated and Colgate-Palmolive were the most frequent multinational brands collected in clean-ups, in that order.

The top polluters in Asia, according to the analysis, were Coca-Cola, Perfetti van Melle and Mondelez International brands. These brands accounted for 30% of all branded plastic pollution counted by volunteers across Asia.

In North and South America, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé brands were the top polluters identified, accounting for 64 and 70% of all the branded plastic pollution, respectively.

In Europe, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé brands were again the top identified polluters, accounting for 45% of the plastic pollution found in the audits there.

In Australia, 7-Eleven, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s brands were the top polluters identified, accounting for 82% of the plastic pollution found.

And finally, in Africa, ASAS Group, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble brands were the top brands collected, accounting for 74% of the plastic pollution there.

Break Free From Plastic is calling on corporations to reduce their use of single-use plastic, redesign delivery systems to minimise or eliminate packaging and take responsibility for the plastic pollution they are pumping into already strained waste management systems and the environment.

While the brand audits do not provide a complete picture of companies’ plastic pollution footprints, they are the best indication to date of the worst plastic polluters globally. The Break Free From Plastic movement is urging companies to end their reliance on single-use plastics, prioritising innovation and alternative delivery systems for products.

For the entire set of results, find Break Free From Plastic’s brand audit report here: https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/globalbrandauditreport2018/.

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