PICAN Responds to the UN Special Rapporteur's Findings on Coca-Cola's Operations in Samoa

[SUVA, 12 May 2025] — The Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) acknowledges the critical findings of the UN Special Rapporteur on hazardous substances and wastes concerning the detrimental impact of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Plc's shift from reusable glass bottles to single-use plastic bottles in Samoa. This situation is a stark illustration of the multifaceted crises confronting our Pacific nations, where the actions of multinational corporations directly exacerbate the vulnerabilities of our people and ecosystems.

Plastics are a significant threat multiplier in the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – a polycrisis that sees the Pacific at its very frontline. The Special Rapporteur's letter highlights how the decision to flood a Pacific Small Island Developing State (SIDS) with plastic bottles, despite the known limitations in local waste management capacity and the ecological fragility of our region, is not an isolated incident but symptomatic of a broader systemic issue. It demonstrates the neocolonial, extractive practices that continue to prioritise profit over planet and people, directly undermining the human rights of communities in Samoa and across our Blue Pacific.

PICAN continues to be guided our 2024 Pacific Climate Justice Demands, which call for an end to such exploitative practices and demand climate justice and equity for our people. The situation in Samoa directly contravenes the principles of sustainable development and corporate responsibility that companies like Coca-Cola publicly espouse. While communities in Samoa are left to deal with the escalating plastic waste crisis, the corporations responsible continue to operate with impunity, often externalising the true costs of their products.

We reaffirm our Pacific CSO Statement on the Global Plastics Treaty which calls for:

• A Human Rights-Based Approach — The rights of Pacific Islanders and Indigenous Peoples, whose livelihoods and cultural heritage are intrinsically linked to the health of our ocean and lands, must be paramount.

• Addressing the Entire Lifecycle of Plastics — We need legally binding measures that tackle plastic pollution from the point of raw material extraction and production right through to its disposal, including addressing legacy plastics. This includes a critical focus on significantly limiting and reducing global and national plastic production.

• Elimination of Toxic Chemicals and Full Transparency — The hazardous chemicals and additives in plastics pose severe risks to our environment and health, and must be eliminated.

• Promotion of Real Solutions — We must champion non-toxic reuse, refill, repair, and remanufacture systems grounded in genuine circular principles, rejecting false solutions like so-called 'chemical recycling' or incineration that perpetuate harm.

• A Just Transition — Any shift away from plastic dependency must ensure a just transition for affected workers and communities, prioritising sustainable livelihoods and respecting traditional knowledge.

• Robust Financial Mechanisms and Conflict of Interest Protections — Developed nations and corporate polluters must provide mandatory and quantified financial contributions to support developing countries in implementing the treaty and remediating existing pollution. The treaty process itself must be safeguarded from the vested interests of the fossil fuel and plastics industries.

The findings regarding Coca-Cola's operations in Samoa are a clear call to action. It is unacceptable for corporations to increase plastic pollution in nations already grappling with the existential threat of climate change and limited resources. This is not just an issue of waste management; it is an issue of environmental justice, human rights, and corporate accountability.

PICAN calls on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Plc and the Coca-Cola Company to:

1. Urgently reconsider their packaging strategies in Samoa and other Pacific Island nations, prioritising truly sustainable, closed-loop systems that do not burden communities with plastic waste.

2. Take full responsibility for the plastic pollution already caused, including investing in and supporting comprehensive, locally appropriate, and sustainable waste management and remediation solutions, beyond tokenistic recycling awareness programs.

3. Ensure their global operations align with their stated sustainability commitments and international human rights standards, particularly in vulnerable SIDS.

We urge Pacific Island governments to stand firm in the ongoing negotiations for a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty, ensuring it has the teeth to hold corporations accountable and deliver genuine solutions for our region. The time for voluntary commitments and empty promises is over. The Pacific demands a future free from plastic pollution, where the health of our ocean, our land, and our people is prioritised. We must resist the tide of plastic colonialism and build a resilient, just, and Climate-Safe Pacific for all.

ENDS

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Note to Editors

• A Copy of the UN Special Rapporteur’s letter was sent to The Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. On May 6th, a was response was issued. 

• A copy of the letter to Coca-Cola was also sent to the Government of Samoa.

• Photo available here. 

• Break Free From Plastic Brand Audit is a participatory science initiative that involves counting and documenting the brands found on plastic waste to help identify the corporations responsible for plastic pollution. Since 2018, The Coca-Cola Company has been identified as the World’s Top Polluter. 

• Coca-cola dropping its global reusable targets on December 2024. 

About PICAN

Media Contact:

Dylan Kava, Strategic Engagement and Communications Lead, PICAN

dylan.kava@pican.org | +679 9061989 (Fiji / GMT+12)