Greenpeace activists block entrance to Coca-Cola HQ in central London with 2.5-tonne sculpture

Workers had difficulty getting into work after activists dumped the sculpture outside.
Jiri Rezac/Greenpeace
Francesca Gillett10 April 2017

Activists from Greenpeace have blocked the entrance to Coca-Cola’s London HQ with a large sculpture showing seagulls regurgitating plastic.

Workers were forced to step over piles of sand before edging through a side entrance after protesters dumped the 2.5 tonne sculpture on the building’s doorstep on Monday morning.

Campaigners installed the plastic sculpture in a bid to force Coke to take more responsibility for some of the plastic bottles, bottle tops and packaging found in the world’s oceans.

Greenpeace set up camp outside Coca-Cola central London’s offices on Wimpole Street, near Oxford Circus, and installed the carving, made from sand and waste Coca-Cola bottles.

Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enters the sea every year, the environmental organisation claims. Today's protest coincides with a report released by Greenpeace.

The sculpture includes a model of a bird regurgitating plastic. (© Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace)
© Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace

Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said Coca-Cola produces 100 billion single-use plastic bottles every year.

She said: “Billions of these are ending up on beaches, in landfill and in oceans around the world

“But rather than dramatically reducing its plastic footprint, Coke is actually increasing its use of throwaway plastic bottles, which is polluting our oceans and being ingested by everything from seabirds to turtles.”

The sculpture features a family in a happy beach scene, but next to them are model seagulls with a stream of plastic rubbish coming from their mouths.

The 2.5 tonne sculpture was lowered into place before sand was dumped beside it. (Jiri Rezac/Greenpeace)
© Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace

Ms Edge added: “This artwork weighs 2.5 tonnes, but every minute plastic weighing 10 times that is pouring into the sea.”

A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola in the UK said they were one of the few consumer goods companies whose packaging is 100 per cent recyclable.

In a statement she said: “We respect the right for organisations to protest peacefully but we are disappointed by today’s stunt and the report from Greenpeace UK, especially as we have been consulting with them to develop our new sustainable packaging strategy which we will publish in the summer.

“Coca-Cola is one of the few consumer goods companies whose packaging is 100 per cent recyclable.

Sand was dumped around the sculpture to represent a beach scene.
Jiri Rezac/Greenpeace

“In Great Britain, we have reduced the amount of packaging we by use by 15 percent since 2007 and we currently use 25 percent recycled plastic in all of our bottles.

“Globally, we continue to increase the use of recycled plastic (rPET) in countries where it is feasible and permitted.”

The spokeswoman said Coke also work with policy makers and are to join the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ litter strategy working group.

They added: “We recognise marine litter is a global problem affecting the world’s oceans.

“Solutions to such a vast environmental challenge require collaboration across industries, NGOs, governments, and communities. We agree that action is needed, are open to doing more and to working with others to create long-term, effective solutions.”

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