A recent survey showed that Coca-Cola was very high on the list
of the most commonly bought commodities from NZ super markets.
Not only that, but most of the other soft
drinks on the shelves, although under a different name, are made
by Cadbury-Schweppes-Coca-Cola. This situation is repeated all
over the world although Coca-Cola's clone, Pepsi, has a substantial
share of the market in many countries. Apart from their near monopoly
position in the market Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, through huge advertising
budgets, (Pepsi recently advertised in space!) sell image rather
than soft drink. They promote the Western lifestyle and its consumer
values, undermining indigenous culture and values, i.e. modern
colonisation sometimes called Coca-Cola-isation. Many schools
in New Zealand have a Coca-Cola dispenser in their grounds. What
does the school make out or this deal?
Pepsi Boycott
PepsiCo has established a bottling factory in Burma in partnership
with a Burmese company Golden Star Enterprise (BSE). The chairman
of BSE is closely linked to the military junta, SLORC, which operates
a very brutal regime. Pepsi uses counter trade in agricultural
products to avoid the overvalued exchange rate of the Burmese
kyat which enables the company to repatriate its profits. The
boycott is spreading in Burma and elsewhere. Other PepsiCo products
are 7UP, KFC and Pizza Hut.
To find out more about the boycott contact Reid Cooper, Canadian
Friends of Burma at ai268@freenet.carleton.ca
Ingredients and Health
Soft drinks are basically sweetened fizzy water. All except "diet" brands contain sugar. Cola drinks are about 10% sugar, Ribena 15%. Sugar is associated with dental caries, obesity and diabetes. Saccharin is present in a number of brands not just those labeled "diet". Saccharin carries a health warning in the US as it has been linked with bladder cancer in laboratory animals, and 1990 British research found that 1 in 6 children between the ages of two and five were consuming more than the UK acceptable daily intake of 2.5mg of saccharin per kg of body weight (Food Magazine July/September 1991). Phenylketonurics and phenylalanine are also used as sweeteners in diet drinks.
Caffeine is another ingredient of Cola drinks, 40-60mg per can (a cup of coffee has 65 -100 mg). Caffeine is an addictive stimulant, heavy doses can cause migraine, insomnia palpitations and high blood pressure. We don't give children coffee so why give them cola?
Tartrazine(E102) is among a number of coal tar dyes used as an
orange colouring in some soft drinks, especially concentrates,
it has been linked to hyperactivity, asthma and rashes.
Environmental impact
16% of soft drink is sold in glass bottles (refillable 3%, single use 13%), 31% in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles and 53% in cans. (UK figures) . Supermarkets are not happy operating returnable bottle systems. In Germany shops take empty milk, water and drink bottles, for refilling, it's all in the culture.
The comparison of the environmental impact of the manufacture,
transport and recycling of the various kinds of containers is
very complex, and too long to present here but the figures are
available. Refillable glass bottles are twice as heavy as single
use bottles as they have to withstand repeated washing, hence
they consume more energy to produce and transport. The production
of aluminium cans is high in energy use and in toxic emissions
but recycled aluminium cans use only 4% of the energy needed
to make a new can, about the same as a single use glass bottle.
Although PET bottles are not returnable in New Zealand they are
in other countries and result in enormous savings in energy. Where
there is a local manufacturer, refillable glass bottles are the
best option. When the bottle is too damaged to be used again it
can be recycled. So recycling and reuse are complementary systems.
Information from "ethical consumer magazine' Issue 42,
July /August 1996 E-mail: ethicon@mcrl.poptel.org.uk
Alternatives to commercial drinks
Water As well as drinking water yourself bring your children and grandchildren up to drink water as a matter of course, you can add a squeeze of lemon. If your local water supply is low grade (like Dunedin's) you may have to buy a filter; bottled water gets you back into the issue of disposing of the bottles.
Fresh fruit This can be as refreshing as a drink but if you want a drink you can process fruit or vegetables in a blender or foodmixer and add water. This retains the roughage
Home-made drinks These are free of any additives and you can control the amount of sugar. Most recipe books include recipes for lemonade, gingerbeer, and in-season drinks like elderflower champagne and blackcurrant concentrate. You can make herb teas from your home grown herbs and bought dried herbs. Rosehip and hibiscus are delicious.
A Sodastream is a large capital outlay but it is cheaper
in the long run than buying commercial brands and avoids the hazards
described above. It allows you to carbonate your home made still
drinks. Guess who makes Sodastream --- Cadbury Schweppes! You
can't escape.
General ideas on ethical shopping, some of the
decisions required when trying to shop ethically
can be found on the next page.
Shoppers Guide is a guide to ethical shopping. For further information contact:
The electronic version of Shoppers Guide has been taken directly from the paper version, with the permission of Pat Scott. For further information on the electronic version contact Stuart Sontier