Communities in Samoa and across the Pacific are pushing back after Coca-Cola switched Samoa from refillable glass bottles to single-use plastic bottles in 2021. Critics say the move is worsening pollution in a country with limited options for dealing with the waste.
What happened?
According to an Instagram reel from Oceana (@oceana), Coca-Cola "replaced refillable glass bottles in Samoa with single-use plastic bottles in 2021." The post warns that, in a country with limited recycling infrastructure, much of that plastic may wind up polluting Samoa and the surrounding ocean.
The reel presents the packaging switch as a concrete company decision and points to an existing alternative rather than a hypothetical future fix. Oceana said, "That's why last month, Samoan and Pacific Islander communities came together to call on Coca-Cola to bring back reusable packaging — a solution the company already has."
The video delivers that criticism in blunt terms: "You turn a system that worked into one that pollutes our ocean." The point is not that this is a brand-new waste problem, but that a lower-waste system was already in place before being replaced by one that generates more trash.
Why does it matter?
Single-use plastic often places the greatest burden on the communities least responsible for producing it. When a major company changes its packaging in a place with limited recycling capacity, the waste problem does not disappear — it shifts to local communities, coastlines, and waterways.
Plastic waste can litter beaches, threaten marine life, and put additional strain on local waste systems, especially on islands where disposal options are limited. It can also hurt tourism and fishing, two industries that many coastal communities rely on.
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The backlash in Samoa also reflects a broader frustration with corporate sustainability claims that do not match the reality on the ground. Coca-Cola, in particular, is a notorious contributor to plastic pollution, despite having better options.
One commenter on the post wrote: "These companies put the burden of removal towards the consumers, it's a guilt free trip with big profits."
What's being done?
The clearest response so far has come from Samoan and Pacific Islander communities, who have publicly asked Coca-Cola to restore reusable packaging. Instead of calling for a vague sustainability promise, they are pushing for a packaging system they say is already known to work.
Reusable bottle systems can dramatically reduce waste when they are properly supported and maintained. Here, advocates are not proposing an untested solution; they want the company to bring back a system Samoa already had and that Coca-Cola still uses elsewhere.
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As the post puts it, "Plastic out of the Pacific. Bring back reuse." And as one commenter asked amid the growing response, "Where is the petition please?"
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