Coke Comes In Easily Recycled Cans And Glass Bottles, So Why Do People Continue To Choose Plastic?

Not so long ago, Coca Cola claimed that it couldn't stop producing its products in plastic bottles because that is what the customer was demanding. It is, unfortunately something which rings true. Even though the company sells almost all of its products in easily recycled aluminium cans and glass bottles, PET seems to be the one which most consumers choose.

Whilst PET can be recycled, more often than not the economics of doing so means that it isn't, for a couple of reasons. It's often uneconomic to recycle and even where it is, contamination in the recycling process makes it too difficult.

So why do consumer grab plastic rather than glass or aluminium? I'm going to suggest price is a big factor here. Coke bought in large plastic bottles works out to be about a third cheaper than the same volume purchased in cans. However when purchased in smaller quantities - single serve - there's a smaller price discrepancy.

So for most consumers the price of the product is of far more consequence than the long term environmental harm its packaging can do.

This despite the widespread alarm at the increasingly visible consequences of climate change and pollution. Plastic bottles are made from oil, and the plastic industry is a crutch for big oil to keep pumping its product even as global demand shrinks in the transport industry over the next few decades.

If people can't make the right choice for the right reasons, then it is up to governments to force them to make the right choice by removing the wrong reasons. That is, applying a special carbon tax to products which are harmful to the environment but cheaper than greener choices.

We've seen governments around the world start to do this with cars - here in New Zealand cars which pollute the most face an additional levy, whilst the cleanest are subsidised, although the scheme doesn't go far enough to punish the worst offenders. 

Alternatively a scheme which forces the manufacturer to pay for recycling its products at the end of their life can at least reduce the manufacturer's reason to use cheap virgin plastic. A large return fee added to plastic bottles at the point of sale and refunded to the consumer when they return the bottle for recycling makes for a great incentive for consumers to manage the recycling process at the point of disposal. Of course the return fee would need to be large enough to make the return worthwhile.

Some countries have been banning single use plastics entirely, however because PET can be recycled it wouldn't technically be covered under such a scheme. 

So whilst the greater good isn't sufficient to stop people buying plastic bottles, forcing changed behaviour is the only option to achieve the required outcome.