Sustainability Magazine November 2021 | Page 15

It ’ s the most recognisable brand in the world and a popular culture icon . Omnipresent from New York to New Deli , Coca-Cola ’ s distinctive logo is a byword for commercial success and – of course – our unquenchable desire for a nostalgic , versatile and timeless beverage .

1985 2021

Falling flat Trash talking
In a bizarre moment of self-destruction Coca- Cola decided to ‘ change its recipe ’ – the very recipe on which its entire empire had been built . Addicts hated it and mobilised throngs campaigned for the immediate restoration of the original taste . In an embarrassing u-turn , a new ‘ old ’ classic Coke was re-released and the new version was quietly poured down the sink , never to return .
Weirdly , Coca-Cola spent its early history in a sustainability paradise . Its famous glass bottles were reusable and – later – aluminium cans were recyclable . The trouble started when it introduced plastic bottles which , after several decades of unrelenting use , can be seen bobbing around in the Arctic Ocean . Mercifully , as of this year , plastic Coke bottles will all be made from recycled plastic .
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