Plastic Free Communities Calling out Brands over Plastic Pollution

The Plastic Free Communities network are calling out big brands over plastic pollution.

Our annual SAS Brand Audit is charging ahead. And the PFC network have, yet again, collected an impressive amount of invaluable data. Last year Plastic Free Communities were the biggest SAS volunteer cohort to take part in the Brand Audit. This year we have a whopping 372 brand audits submitted by Plastic Free Communities, and the results are astonishing.

• Almost 4,000 citizen science volunteers across the UK collected branded items over 13,000 miles over the last 12 months to expose the top 12 polluting companies.
• Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and McDonalds are revealed to be the top three companies fuelling the UK packaging pollution crisis.
• Almost 50% of the reported pollution would be covered under an ‘all-in’ Deposit Return Scheme.
• To highlight the issue, Surfers Against Sewage have commissioned a giant projection of pollution filling up the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.

What is the brand audit

The brand audit is part of SAS’s national programme of citizen science research projects highlighting the major brands and parent companies responsible for the plastic pollution in our streets, rivers, mountains and beaches.

Communities, individual and volunteers from across the UK collect data throughout the year. Groups host local cleans, and before responsibly disposing of all the sacks full of items collected, they spread them all out and audit them. Separating out the branded and unbranded items, and tallying up any branded items. These numbers are sent in to SAS HQ and fed into our annual report.

The team at SAS HQ then pull together all the datasets from across the UK to highlight the 12 most polluting companies, and use this data to call for change.

How we use the data collected

Our first Brand Audit took place in 2010 and revealed that the majority of beach pollution (56%) was attributable to just twelve corporations. These top twelve corporations have been dubbed the ‘Dirty Dozen’. Today, many of the same names are still at the top of our dirty dozen list.

Last year’s Dirty Dozen companies were responsible for a massive 65% of all branded items collected. Coca-Cola once again took the top spot with Pepsi-Co holding on to the second place.

It’s through data collection like this that we are able to call out these big brands, and use our collective voice to demand change. With over a decades worth of data these corporations can’t deny their contribution to the plastic pollution crisis.

The Dirty Dozen Revealed

The top 12 companies responsible for over 70% of branded pollution across the UK: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, McDonalds, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Mondelez International, Nestlé, Tesco, Red Bull GmbH, Suntory, Carlsberg Group, Heineken Holding and Mars.

There has been little change in this year’s Dirty Dozen making a mockery of their supposedly ambitious sustainability pledges. Brands are failing to reduce packaging, switch to reuse models and enable recycling. As the top three polluters, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and McDonalds are responsible for a staggering 38% of all branded pollution found.

For the 3^rd year running, Coca-Cola has taken the top spot. Thanks to the power of people pressure Coca-Cola recently announced a new reusable packaging target, aiming for at least 25% of all beverages worldwide to be sold in refillable or returnable glass or plastic bottles and containers by 2030. We’ll be watching carefully to see if words are put into action.

The importance of Community Action

It goes without saying that SAS would not be able to collect this data, write these reports or hold these companies to account without the support of communities across the UK. The Plastic Free Communities network is a power house of community mobilisation. There are almost 900 communities set up across the UK, all working to free where they live from single use plastic.

A massive shout out to all the Plastic Free Communities that took part in our annual brand audit this year. Thank you!

Get involved

Our latest Plastic Free Communities research showed that 80% of respondents were more aware of local and global environmental issues having been involved with the campaign.

Getting involved in citizen science is an excellent way of deepening your understanding of the issues being tackled. The Brand Audit is just one example of the amazing work that Plastic Free Communities do to support the SAS mission and vision.

Check out the full Brand Audit Report

Find your local community and get involved.

Sign your community up.