How these companies tried to greenwash their plastic waste

Europe’s food and drinks companies make big promises to cut plastic waste. But they don't deliver. We checked. A story about ambitious commitments, hidden failures and how to hold firms accountable.

Credits:
Reporter: Kira Schacht
Video Editor: Frederik Willmann
Graphics: Therese Giemza, Christin Grothe & Jorana Paetz
Supervising Editor: Malte Rohwer-Kahlmann, Joanna Gottschalk & Kiyo Dörrer

We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Our new channel Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. Every Friday we'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.

#PlanetA #Plastic #GreenWashing

Read More:
Data and Methodology Behind This Analysis:

European Data Journalism Network:

Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment:

OECD: Plastic Production Policy Outlook Until 2060:

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:16 Our Research Process
01:48 Danone's Promises
03:06 What We Found
03:31 Marketing Over Impact
05:08 Companies Pick Easy Battles
06:58 What is Changing: More Transparency
07:59 What Needs to Change: Legislation
09:21 Conclusion

[DWPlanetA]

What should your country do to hold plastic polluters accountable?

[Servitor-lxbu]

I thought that this would be important information to share. 35% of all ocean microplastics come from clothing/textiles, mostly polyester, but also acrylic and nylon as well. This is largely due to clothes made of these materials being washed, which causes these clothes to quickly erode, with the microplastic fibers entering the water system and eventually the sea. Ocean Hero is a great search engine that we can use to help clean up larger plastics before they disintegrate into microplastics.

[kaceycryan]

I remember studying the environmental impact of Walmart in North America of the late 2000s. The same is true here; those companies "doing good" for the environment are those which are causing the greatest harm. These companies need to be liable for their products beyond the sale.

[davidlubkowski]

The focus on straws is also greenwashing. There is so much more to plastic than just straws and plastic cutlery etc.

[ignaodd]

We need to focus on reusable and not recyclable.
Why should bottles be made of this thin one way plastic instead of sturdy plastic/glass/metal that can be refilled instead.
One way packaging should be banned where not necessary ex. groceries, clothing, cosmetics etc.

The only way we can accomplish something is if we do the 5 Rs in the correct order : Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Rot, Recycle
So in that order we should first ban one way packaging, create products that reuse stuff that can't be recycled, stop buying the newest shiniest tech and repair if broken, use compostable materials instead of plastic, and recycle as a last resource.

[rmutter]

Multi-national corporations are not concerned about plastic pollution from their packaging (or its manufacturing) because by current accounting standards, dealing with pollution caused by manufacturing or packaging waste is an "externalized" cost that is paid, not by corporations, but by the end consumer population that purchases their products. If you seek a reduction in these pollutants, change the laws and force the corporations to "internalize" those costs; i.e., hold them responsible for cleanup. I predict you will realize pollution reduction on a massive scale if you can enact this real change.

[Kangaroo_Caught]

In Australia, I was delighted to find Heinz Aioli in glass jars (as well as plastic squeeze bottles) and found that I preferred both the flavour and texture of the product in this packaging.
Unfortunately, this product is now only available in the plastic squeeze bottles, so we buy a different mayonnaise which is available in glass jars.

[eddyt]

A prime example of the kind of journalism the world needs right now: holding large corporations with big advertising budgets to account for not delivering on their false promises.

[girlonthineyes]

Here in South Africa Coca Cola has introduced reusable plastic and glass bottles at local supermarkets. The price of the coke in a reusable bottle is much cheaper than the one in the single use plastic bottles. However, in grocery stores and fast food stores, they only sell in single use plastic bottles.

[jaridkeen]

They could just use aluminum cans instead of Plastic they already do it and the cost is the same. So the fact they say "Its hard and will take time" is an absolute lie. They could stop Tomorrow, they just dont want to stop

[madhuriravi]

I live in India, where single use plastics are banned - in theory. In reality these laws are enforced on the poorest unorganized sectors. All food packaging from supermarket brands continue to use plastic. It's the street hawker selling cut fruit that can't use cheap plastic forks. The woman who sells flowers on the pavement who suddenly couldn't sell loose flowers in a bag - they can't afford paper packaging. But they have to circumvent it or be driven out of work trying, while there has practically been no attempt made to restrict plastic production by large companies - most of them American or European. While it does make a difference, the burden is borne disproportionately by those who contribute to the problem far less

[chammel]

Environmental issues like this will take to long to be solved by competitive companies. Regulation by government on packaging materials is the only way to go. Don't blame a company for not taking the initiative of using a more expensive eco-friendly packaging material, which most consumers won’t pay for when presented with a cheaper alternative. Tax or ban the use of harmful materials to create an incentive to work towards better options, or even better, just reduce or eliminate the VAT/GST tax on more eco-friendly packaged/delivery alternatives to increase competitiveness. There are better solutions to just blaming companies for selling us items that we are all guilty of consuming...

[akashpanthi]

We must choose alternative recyclable packaging material. We must abolish single use plastic.

[SteveBueche]

Even in a cardboard cereal box they no longer use wax paper bags. It's plastic.
What happened to the corn starch biodegradable packaging?

[tessellatiaartilery]

Excellent. I love this series. Getting this info out in an digestible and engaging way is a real public service. Thank you very much.

[elanlynn]

I really appreciate this channel, the more I watch, the less faith I have in humanity’s future, then the more carefree I become. Good for my mental health while my physical health being poisoned by those ‘loving caring corporations’.

[rainerzufall]

What really pisses me off is that you could easily reduce packaging by 50% tomorrow by omitting useless parts that only make the product look good or "bigger". You buy air and plastics and a tiny big of product in there. I have been avoiding those products for decades now but what use can it be if NOBODY else cares? I mean it is the SUBSTANTIAL of all products and sometimes it is not easy to just live without them.
I mean just think of a shirt wrapped in plastic. And whole thing is shipped in anther plastic bag. Why?? Imagine it becoming... wet when you throw the package into river. I mean you gotta be prepared for that!

[milamolala]

For me its a scandal, that it is even allowed to make packaging that is not fully recycable. I really don't get that :(

[schlaumayer]

As far as I'm aware there is a not insignificant health risk by recycled plastic bottles (and to a lesser extent new ones), due to plastic getting into the water, so glass bottles are definitively better, as they are also completely reusable

[worksofhands]

These companies did not expect people to remember that they were promised lies