Coca-Cola Spurs Awareness for Environment
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Coca-Cola Korea has released an environmental report for the first time among local drink manufacturers in a move to lead other makers toward eco-friendly production.
The local division of the multinational soft drink giant said Korea's facility used 29 percent less water than 2000, and its waste water stayed within the strict quality set by government guidelines.
And 97 percent of the maker's soda bottles were collected over the past four years, the report said, adding that other ongoing efforts were made to abide by environmental friendly standards.
``To reduce the amount of paint used in the exterior design, an eco-design was chosen for Coca-Cola's glass bottles that were colored in red and white paint,'' it said. ``Also, the weight of the 1.5 liter PET bottles got lighter from 48 grams to 44 grams.''
Since making various attempts over the past four years to cut greenhouse gas at the local factories, carbon dioxide emission levels were cut by 672 tons at the Yeoju facility and 203 tons in Yangsan.
After ongoing criticism worldwide concerning Coca-Cola's environmental abuse in India, Colombia, Indonesia and Turkey, the soda giant has made efforts to turn greener.
The company CEO Neville Isdell emphasized at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January this year that the beverage maker is putting in efforts to lower its environmental footprint by reducing emissions and the amount of water it uses.
A Coca-Cola Korea spokeswoman said that an environmental report will be released to the government and local nonprofit organizations annually or biannually throughout each global division.