Coca Cola's CEO's green mission

Coca Cola has questions to answer over human rights, and over depleting water tables in nations where people tend to rely on groundwater. We should also ask questions over a business model which involves selling sugared water, and people in Western countries should certainly ensure that they and their children don't consume too much of that, because it does place you at increased risk for obesity and diabetes. Those two conditions also cost health systems a lot of money, although we may be overstating the risk from obesity.

That said, Coke's CEO is starting to see the light from an environmental perspective. He has invested in energy efficient technology for vending machines, has made attempts to decrease water usage, and is trying to increase the recyclability of its plastic bottles. There's an environmental problem with soft drinks of all stripes. PET, which is what plastic bottles are made of, is made from oil, and is only partially recyclable. At present, we need at least 50% virgin PET in a bottle. That percentage can be increased, but eventually, PET will discolor. Aluminum is very energy intensive to mine, although I imagine it is easier to recycle.

CNN Money has the story.