You've got choices

The big news on the green corporate front this week has been Coca-Cola's decision to "go green", or in their own words, to actively promote "sustainable well-being." Coke has always supported certain global sustainability projects, but recent concern from consumers suggested to the company that they needed to ramp up their efforts. Additionally, they have launched a new ad blitz ($10 million dollar price tag) which highlights their efforts to promote "sustainable well-being."

Based on current programs, "sustainable well-being" includes things like the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and Coke-sponsored sports programs. However, the corporation has also promised to recycle 100% of its aluminum cans sold in the US (no specific date mentioned) and has invested in a huge bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in South Carolina (according to environmentalleader.com, the total cost of the plant is $45 million). I wonder if Coke will invest as much in the plant as they have in their recent advertising campaign.

The question is, of course, is Coke merely trying to "green-wash"its consumers or is it actually interested in and committed to sustainability? (green washing = the attempt by corporations to mislead consumers by pretending to have environmental and sustainable practices, usually through huge ad campaigns).

So far, in my opinion, it looks as through Coke is going to follow many other corporations and simply settle for appearing to be sustainable. I am basing this off of their ad campaign (see pic below), which emphasizes human-health issues over environmental ones.



Its not that I don't think health issues are important ones but, over all, they are not a direct part of "sustainability." There are ways that we can (and do) answer human health questions in unsustainable ways. Secondly, I applaud Coke's attempt, but in my mind, soda is not going to be the vehicle for improved human health. The most ridiculous is the vitamin-enriched coke. Well, you are getting vitamins in a delicious, high-fructose corn syrupy, beverage with caffeine (which, incidentally, dehydrates you). Some of those vitamins are bio-available, some may not be. But, regardless, it would be better to get those vitamins from the place they below, namely real food.

I chose the title of this blog from the Coke ad pictured above, which states proudly, "You've Got Choices." Do we? Is excessive, pseudo-environmental consumerism really a choice? Or are they just trying to point us away from the possibility that consumerism is inherently un-sustainable. You tell me.