Browse Coca-Cola Brands

Attributions, Methods, and Inspirations

In this section, we cover some details regarding how Boycott Buddy was created. To provide some background, Boycott Buddy is the follow up project to FuckNestlé.art, a Nestlé boycott tool launched in 2023. This tool was widely used and shared, and people asked for a more detailed and broad project to document and help people avoid mega-corps — hence leading to the creation of Boycott Buddy.

Attributions

Boycott Buddy is designed and developed by Zachary Jordan. The logo design was created by Eugene Kim. Brands and corrections are reported from around the world by users of the site. Icons are provided by HeroIcons.

Methods

Boycott Buddy would not be possible without the public contributions made by thousands of committed people from around the world to document the crimes and companies of mega-corporations. To form our database, Boycott Buddy surveys and combines existing open source lists. The early stages often begin with crowdsourced lists such as those available on Wikipedia.

We then visit corporation websites, which often avoid offering a clear and easy to browse list, and fill in missing companies. From here, we browse other public information such as community posts, online company databases (such as barcode lists), and news of recent acquisitions or sales.

Once we have collected as much information as is publicly available as possible, we then vet our list and confirm that it is as up to date as can be achieved before categorizing. This is a continuous process and one that we rely on the community to support with. To fill out our database over time, we provide a mechanism to our users to report missing companies, which are then also verified and added. The result we are pursuing is a growing list that evolves over time to document the current status of these companies.

This process is handled manually by our team and people who offer to help with the project. AI technologies, such as those offered by Open AI, are sometimes used to assist with the copywriting process but is not involved in brand discovery.

Some brands may be missing from our list. All views are my own and do not represent my employer or anybody else.

Inspirations

The initial project that inspired the precursor to this one (FuckNestlé.art) is a project called PeopleCott by Charles Stover. It's sadly no longer active, but I'll include a link to it here in case it ever comes back.

Edit July 2024: I just noticed PeopleCott is back, so the link actually should be working again. Thanks Charles!

I'm also inspired by long history of successful boycotts against mega corporations — let's continue this tradition of pressuring some of the most powerful organizations on Earth to do better by their consumers and our shared planet!

I'm done reading

WHY BOYCOTT Coca-Cola?

Coca-Cola, a ubiquitous presence in the global market, exemplifies the troubling intersection of corporate profit and ethical compromise. This behemoth has been repeatedly condemned for its significant environmental footprint, especially concerning the excessive use and contamination of water sources in vulnerable communities.

Additionally, its role in contributing to the global plastic pollution crisis, with millions of tons of plastic waste attributed to its products, exacerbates environmental degradation. These actions not only harm ecosystems but also pose a direct threat to public health and well-being. A boycott of Coca-Cola is urged to compel the corporation towards adopting more environmentally sustainable and ethically sound practices. Click on an issue to explore further.

Severe labor violations

Coca-Cola has faced many serious allegations of labor rights abuses. The company has been involved in numerous legal disputes, including a notable case where its subsidiary, BCI Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Los Angeles, was accused of wage and hour violations, leading to a $14 million settlement. Another significant legal challenge came in the form of a class-action lawsuit alleging discrimination against African American employees, which was settled for $82.8 million, despite the company's denial of any wrongdoing. Forced labor

In the Philippines, Coca-Cola's subsidiary, Coca-Cola FEMSA, faced accusations of gross labor rights violations for refusing to regularize 675 contractual workers and for laying off more than 700 employees, including union officers, as a purported part of an “organizational structure assessment”. These cases, alongside numerous others, highlight a pattern of strained relationships between Coca-Cola and its workforce, with frequent clashes over union rights and fair labor practices.

Despite these controversies, Coca-Cola asserts its commitment to human rights and fair labor standards in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. However, this claim is often met with skepticism from labor rights organizations and workers' unions, who argue that Coca-Cola's actions do not consistently reflect its stated values.

Learn More

Climate emissions

Coca-Cola's environmental impact, particularly related to carbon emissions, is a subject of justified scrutiny. The company's use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in refrigeration emerged as a significant issue, given their high global warming potential. Though HFCs were adopted as a replacement for ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), they have contributed substantially to greenhouse gas emissions. Despite being aware of the climate impact of HFCs, Coca-Cola continued their use, with over 10% of its new refrigeration units still containing HFCs as of 2022. This reliance on HFCs, coupled with the energy-intensive nature of refrigeration, predominantly powered by fossil fuels, exacerbates their carbon footprint. Pollution in the lake

While Coca-Cola has made efforts to mitigate its environmental impact, such as achieving carbon neutrality at certain European sites and limited investments in carbon capture technology, these measures are seen as incremental compared to the scale of the problem. These initiatives, while a step in the right direction, are limited in scope and slow in progress, especially considering the company's vast global operations. Basically, anything action that slows the money train is considered off the table, and as a result their negative impact overshadows these efforts.

The effectiveness of Coca-Cola's long-term goals and commitments towards reducing its environmental impact remains a subject of debate, underscoring the challenges these mega-corporations face in aligning their business practices with environmental sustainability.

Learn More

Plastic pollution

Coca-Cola's role as a repeat offender in plastic pollution has come under intense scrutiny. For five consecutive years, the company has been named the world's worst plastic polluter, as reported by the Break Free From Plastic movement. This designation stems from a global audit involving over 200,000 volunteers across 87 countries, who collected and analyzed trash. The findings were stark: Coca-Cola's plastic waste was not only prominent but had also doubled over this period, raising serious questions about the company's environmental stewardship.

Critics point out the inherent contradictions in Coca-Cola's approach to addressing its plastic problem. The company's pledge to make its packaging 100% recyclable and to increase the use of recycled plastic seems to pale in comparison to the scale of the pollution it generates. Additionally, Coca-Cola's goal to collect and recycle a bottle for every one sold by 2030 is seen by some as an inadequate response to a crisis of its own making. This is compounded by the close ties between plastic production and the fossil fuel industry, with a vast majority of plastics derived from fossil fuels. This connection further entangles Coca-Cola in the broader environmental issues of plastic production and climate change.

The continuous ranking of Coca-Cola as a top plastic polluter, despite its public commitments to sustainability, has led to accusations of greenwashing. The company's initiatives are increasingly viewed with skepticism, as they appear to be outpaced by the escalating problem of plastic pollution and its devastating environmental impacts. The situation calls into question the effectiveness and sincerity of Coca-Cola's strategies in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis.

Learn More

Child labor