Australian mining tycoon Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest claims that firms like Coca-Cola and similar businesses selling single-use plastics are pressuring their customers to “destroy the planet.”
“All I’m saying to the fossil fuel sector is, if you’re like the single-use plastic sector, if you’re like Coca-Cola and give single-use plastic as your container for Coke, then you’re forcing your customers to be single-use plastic nature destroyers,” he said.
Mr Forrest stated in an interview with ABC’s 7.30 that big businesses like Coca-cola should do more to provide their clients with more ecologically friendly options.
“You’re a huge producer. Give customers a choice. Right now, you are forcing them to destroy the planet for their kids.”
Given that Coca-Cola is one of the biggest producers of plastic pollution in the world, becoming one of the sponsors of the UN Climate Change Conference has infuriated environmentalists.
Coke’s sponsorship of the summit concerned Mr Forrest, who pushed the company’s CEO to spend money on funding research into plastic recycling.
“I’m saying, ‘Hey, listen, you shouldn’t be putting out one single plastic bottle that hasn’t come from a recycled source and, by the way, you can only recycle plastic on current technology three or four times,’” the mining magnate said.
“Come and put capital, alongside mine, into researching plastic which goes back to the molecule in recycling, and you can send it back up on a new plastic that goes on forever. “Putting your money into greenwashing and COP, won’t help anyone.”
The purpose of Mr Forrest’s project, according to him, is to show that a “large, heavy industrial carbon emitting corporation can advance beyond fossil fuels.”
He declared that he wanted to challenge every other CEO and chairman, asking them to envision what their company would look like if it stopped using fossil fuels in the coming years.
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About Dr Andrew Forrest
An Australian mining billionaire Dr Andrew Forrest is also a committed philanthropist. He co-founded the Minderoo Foundation with his wife, Nicola, in 2001. Since then, they have given more than A$2 billion to philanthropic causes worldwide, supporting more than 300 initiatives domestically and abroad.
With a recent PhD in Marine Ecology, Andrew advocates for ocean preservation. He participates in the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Assessment of Marine Litter and Microplastics of the United Nations Environment Programme.
He is the founder of the iron ore mining firm Fortescue Metals Group. He also established the green hydrogen subsidiary Fortescue Future Industries off the strength of this business to produce 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030.
Climate solidarity pact or a collective suicide pact
At the COP27 UN Climate Summit in Egypt, representatives from nearly 200 nations are in attendance. They hope to maintain the objective of preventing the worst effects of climate change.
Antonio Guterres, the head of the UN, warned world leaders during climate change negotiations in Egypt that humanity is in “the fight of our life” as droughts, floods, and heatwaves are getting worse due to climate change.
At the UN COP27 summit at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, he warned the leaders, “Cooperate or perish.”
“It is either a Climate Solidarity Pact or a Collective Suicide Pact.”
Ban on single-use plastics in Australia
Seven of the eight Australian states and territories have committed to outlawing single-use plastics, thanks to a tremendous movement spurred on by those who love the ocean.
South Australia
Single-use plastic straws drink stirrers, and cutlery were the first items in South Australia to be banned on March 1, 2021.
Also banned on March 1, 2022, are polystyrene food and beverage containers and oxo-degradable plastics.
ACT
Straws, cotton bud sticks, and other biodegradable plastics will be phased out on July 1, 2022, after the ACT Government’s ban on single-use plastic cutlery, drink stirrers, and polystyrene food and beverage containers that went into effect on July 1, 2021.
Queensland
On September 1, 2021, the Queensland Government began enforcing a ban on single-use plastics. This prohibition includes plastic straws, drink stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls, and polystyrene food and beverage containers. The prohibition on plastic microbeads, cotton bud sticks, loose-fill polystyrene containers, and the widespread discharge of lighter-than-air balloons will increase as of 1 September 2023.
New South Wales
Plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates, bowls, expanded polystyrene food service items, plastic cotton bud sticks, and microbeads in cosmetics are prohibited under the New South Wales Government’s single-use plastics ban, which went into effect on 1 November 2022. Visit our page to know about the details.
Western Australia
By 2022, the Western Australian government will ban plastic plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, stirrers, straws, thick plastic bags, polystyrene food containers, and balloon releases.
Victoria
The government of Victoria has promised to outlaw single-use plastics by February 2023, including plastic straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers, and cotton bud sticks.
Northern Territory
Under the NT Circular Economy Strategy, the Northern Territory Government has pledged to ban single-use plastics by 2025. It includes banning plastic bags, straws, stirrers, cutlery, bowls, plates, expanded polystyrene (EPS), consumer food containers, microbeads in personal care products, and helium balloons.
Tasmania
Tasmania has made no commitments to ban single-use plastics.
In the report card below, you can see which plastics each state has agreed to outlaw by what date.
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