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This Earth Day, Coke plans on launching its so-called plant bottle for Dasani water with a flashy fashion show and luncheon. Hoping to attract support for a bottle that’s still 70% petroleum-based, Coke invited Matthew Morrison, actor from the TV show Glee, to host the fashion show and hold a meet-and-greet event with guests.

Invitations went out to several environmental groups, but these groups are boycotting the greenwashing event. Despite the attractive packaging and claims, environmental groups recognize that the so-called plant bottle is still just like any other plastic bottle that won’t biodegrade or compost in a landfill, compost pile, ocean, or anywhere else. This Coke bottle, like competitor PepsiCo’s plant-based bottle, can only be recycled or thrown away in a landfill.

The outcry from environmental groups also points out that Coke has fallen short in several of its environmental promises. The company recently reneged on its support of a PET recycling facility in South Carolina, and has also failed to meet a goal of using 10% recycled content in its containers by 2010.

Don’t let Coke fool you. There are numerous benefits to drinking tap water instead of bottled water. Drinking tap water bypasses the wasteful habit of buying single-use plastic bottles that can sit in landfills for hundreds of years after their use. Also, tap water is many times less expensive and just as safe, or even safer to drink, than bottled water. In fact, the Environmental Working Group recently rated Coke’s bottled water products with poor grades.

Did you know? CAW has an ongoing enforcement campaign to fight false advertising claims for plastic products. Please visit our website for more information.