Environmental issues

of Coca Cola
 Coca`Cola
• A carbonated soft drink sold in stores,
restaurants and vending machines
internationally.

• The Coca Cola Company claims that

the beverage is sold in more than 200
countries.
What happened in Plaachimada
 Plachimada is a small village in the South
Indian state of Kerala suffering from severe
water shortage since the global soft drink
manufacturer Coca-Cola started their operations
there four years ago. The factory is located in a
rural residential area several miles from the
nearest town. Groundwater is a common pool
resource vital to us all but especially important
to a poor agricultural community consisting
primarily of indigenous people.
 The water problems in Plachimada started during Coke’s
first year of operation, according to Veloor Swaminathan, a
resident who was part of the struggle against the Coke plant.
He first noticed impurities in the wells closest to the plant and,
as time went on, the radius of polluted wells expanded rapidly
outward.

 The complaints came from people throughout the village.

The water tasted and smelled bad, and gave people skin rashes
and stomach illnesses. When it was used to cook rice or lentils,
the food became inedible within an hour or two.

 Swaminathan says the water became so bad that, “even the

dogs refused to drink it.” Although the water has improved
somewhat since the plant closed, the villagers still depend on
government-subsidized trucks to deliver water each week.
 Sludge Turned to Fertilizer!

In a move that raised eyebrows throughout India

and the world, Coke even went so far as to
dispose of their production byproduct – sludge
laced with lead and cadmium – by calling it
fertilizer and selling it or giving it away to
Plachimada’s residents. This disposal method
was inadequate, so the sludge waste was dumped
in various locations such as coconut fields,
polluting the land and the groundwater beneath it.
"For the last two years the company has been
stealing precious drinking water from deep
down the earth and our wells have all gone
dry," explained Mylamma, an elderly tribal
woman who is one of the leaders of the water
war against the multinational giant Coke.
 Coca cola’s response:
“We conducted an environmental due
diligence study as per our international
corporate policy of good environmental
practice before setting up the plant and
conducted scientific tests before we located
our plant in this part of Kerala. These
included a satellite imagery study to
determine the extent and nature of the
aquifer and a pumping test to establish the
sustainable yield of water from the bore wells.
The plant has consistently operated the bore
wells below these safe limits (Coca-Cola Web
Site)”.
 Truth Behind the “coke”.
The company is in the process of phasing out
E211, or sodium benzoate, an additive used in
Diet Coke and linked to DNA damage to yeast
cells and hyperactivity in children.
Experts from Delhi's Centre for Science and
Environment tested various soft drinks
produced for Coca cola Co. and determined
that they contained high levels of pesticide.
Coke has been made with high fructose corn
syrup instead of sucrose to reduce costs. The
consumption of high fructose corn syrup
because of possible links to obesity and
diabetes. High fructose corn syrup has been
shown to be metabolized differently than sugar
by the human body.
Issues raised from coca
cola plant in Kala Dera
• Kala Dera is a large village outside the city of Jaipur where
agriculture is the primary source of livelihood. Coca-Cola started
its bottling operations in Kala Dera in 2000, and within a year, the
community started to notice a rapid decline in groundwater levels.

• There was no problem with the quality and quantity of water in

the pre project time. After 6 months of establishment of the Coca
Cola plant they noticed deterioration of water quality with
observable differences like taste, odour, colour etc. There was no
visible change of water level in the open wells in the surrounding
area. Various health problems like abdominal discomfort,
drowsiness, convulsions, fatigue and headache were seen among
the villagers. The food prepared with that water decayed soon and
the cooking took prolonged time.

• The dominant wind direction in the area is from east to west.

People residing in the north-west direction within 500 meters
stated that there was bad smell coming from the industry side for
the whole day while the factory was running.
• Farmers had itching in limbs while they were working
in the fields where sludge was used as fertilizer. Cases
of mental retardation, bleeding from nose, patches on
skin in children were noticed. Spontaneous abortion
and stillbirths were noticed among the women.

• Three types of solid wastes were dumped near

Kambalathara reservoir during the operation of the
Coca Cola Plant. One type was paste like, clay
coloured and one type was dry and yellow coloured.
All the wastes had foul odour. Waste was loaded in
trucks and transported to the fields and somewhere
else. Wastewater was treated and reused in the
maintenance of the garden and there was rumour of
putting waste underground inside the plant premise.
 Other causes from Coca cola:

• Coca Cola seems to cause cavities. It seems like that

coca cola will cause holes in someones teeth and reduce
the size by a little bit and change the white or slightly
yellowish color to something else.
• Coca cola, whether it is diet or regular, has a very
negative effect on enamel by increasing the acid ph in
the mouth for a period of at least an hour. The increased
acid strips the natural protective layer on your teeth and
the enamel begins to slowly lose its natural minerals and
therefore breakdown, causing decay
• Coke which includes in the junk
food category causes health
problems such as obesity,
weakening of the bones and
dehydration.