Washington, DC – Pepsi announced today that it will invest $10 million in the Recycling Partnership, which aims to increase curbside recycling efforts. In its announcement, the company acknowledged the need for innovation and multiple approaches to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, but made no promises to reduce its own single-use plastic footprint.
The announcement comes as cities and states across the country increasingly suspend or reduce their recycling programs, particularly in light of China’s ban on foreign waste earlier this year. The equivalent of a truckload of plastics enters our oceans every minute, every day.
In response to Pepsi’s announcement, Greenpeace Plastics Campaigner Kate Melges said:
“Pepsi has missed the mark with this announcement. As other companies begin to acknowledge their role in the plastic pollution crisis by reducing their plastic footprints, Pepsi has opted for blaming individuals and communities for not recycling their waste well enough. We know that recycling will never solve this crisis, and that it’s going to take companies like Pepsi reducing and eventually phasing out single-use plastics. This is about corporate accountability, and it’s time for the largest companies in the world to take ownership of the problem they helped to create.
“Pepsi’s bottles and bottle caps have been identified in cleanups and brand audits all over the world, including in countries that don’t have the infrastructure to actually recycle the waste. The company sells us on cheap, momentary convenience, but it’s time to start acknowledging the real cost of this plastic addiction. Our oceans, our waterways, and our communities deserve better than deflected responsibility.”
###
Contact: Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace Senior Communications Specialist, P: 301-675-8766
