Colruyt, Coca-Cola, and Cristaline once again top the list of polluters of the Brussels Canal
In recent weeks, there has been quite a stir around images of litter on Belgian beaches. Without much understanding of what exactly had happened and what type of litter was involved, it was quickly concluded that beachgoers still didn’t get it and that more enforcement, fines, and bins were needed. The entire discussion missed a significant part of the full story, information that Brand Audits provide. For the third time, City to Ocean analyzed for 2,5 months the types of waste floating in the Brussels Canal, identified the producers, and found that the same companies consistently top the list of polluters.
From early June to mid-August, we analyzed 3.500 pieces of litter that participants in our kayaking activity retrieved from the water. For half of these items, we were able to identify a producer. As it turns out, for the third consecutive time, the same three companies are the biggest polluters of the Brussels Canal: Colruyt, Coca-Cola, and Cristaline (Alma). All three have previously held the top spot: Coca-Cola in 2020, Colruyt in 2023, and Cristaline (Alma) today in 2024.
Colruyt made it to the top three again with its own labels Everyday (82 items), Boni (30 items), and Carapils (11 items). From Coca-Cola, we found Coca-Cola itself (66 items), Fanta (28 items), Maaza (6 items), Tropico (5 items), Powerade (4 items), Aquarius (3 items), and several other brands in smaller quantities. Alma reached first place almost exclusively with one product, the plastic Cristaline water bottles. We found these Cristaline bottles during all but one of the cleanups, while Colruyt and Coca-Cola brands were found during 90% of the cleanups.
No improvement at Colruyt after their first place last year
Brand Audits aim to identify major polluters, hold them accountable for their responsibility in the litter problem, and drive behavioral change within these companies.
Last year’s results led to a debate around the supermarket chain Colruyt. During that debate, it also emerged that Colruyt was double-packaging 171 different types of products in plastic in just one store alone to boost sales figures through multipacks. We engaged in discussions with them and simultaneously launched the End Double Packaging campaign, where consumers can report double packaging on the Fost Plus website.
In March 2024, we received a written response from Colruyt stating that they aim to reduce packaging as much as possible, with a goal to make 100% of their own label packaging reusable or recyclable by 2025 and all packaging in all stores reusable or recyclable by 2030. If they continue to use their double plastic packaging, which is recyclable, they would still meet this objective.
Colruyt’s communication is similar to what other large companies are conveying. Recycling and recyclability are highlighted, yet this has no impact on litter. Recyclable packaging ends up in nature just as much as non-recyclable packaging. A year after their top spot on the list of biggest polluters, we observe no difference. We still find the same amount of Colruyt packaging in the canal, the store still has the same amount of double packaging, there is still no cooperation to introduce a physical deposit system, and no serious pilot projects for selling in bulk.
This contrasts with, for example, AH Delhaize, which launched the AH Verpakkingsvrij initiative in its XL Albert Heijn stores in the Netherlands. Seventy different products such as cereals, nuts, snacks, pasta, and rice are sold packaging-free through dispensers that also monitor expiration dates and product quality. A project that Carrefour has also launched with our southern neighbors in France. It is clear today that this is the future, but Colruyt is clearly not yet there.
The consumer is constantly misled
With Colruyt, Lidl, and Aldi there are three supermarkets in the top 20. These supermarkets have a double impact on litter. On one hand, with their own private labels, and on the other, with all the other products they sell in their stores. Supermarkets need to adjust their business models and move away from single-use packaging.
However, the future suggests a very different scenario. Worldwide, $400 billion is being invested in new plastic factories, including Ineos’s Project One in Antwerp. As a result, plastic production is set to double over the next 20 years. If we already have a litter problem today, it will worsen in the future without change, regardless of what companies promise about recycling targets. Globally, $11 to $12 billion in profits are made from the illegal trade of recycling material to poorer countries. These plastics are not recycled but are illegally burned, used in cement kilns and power plants, or simply end up in the environment. Even those who sort everything properly still unwittingly contribute to environmental pollution.
As a form of backlash, some companies are being prosecuted for this. In 2023, Pepsico was sued in the US for both misleading consumers about its goals for phasing out single-use plastics and for endangering the environment. In Europe, Danone was also sued in France in 2023, and Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Danone were collectively accused of misleading EU consumers with claims on their products such as ‘100% recycled’ and ‘100% recyclable’. In Europe, only 50% of plastic bottles are recycled, and only 30% are used to make new plastic bottles. Plastic is simply not recycled repeatedly. Misleading claims on packaging should be replaced with a warning that the packaging can be harmful to humans and the environment, to genuinely help consumers make environmentally conscious choices without being misled.
Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Mondelez, and Mars, respectively numbers 3, 5, 6, and 7 in our Brand Audit, also appear in the top ten of Break Free From Plastic’s global Brand Audit 2023. Coca-Cola has been at number 1 for six years. Whether in rich or poor countries, countries with or without waste management, it is the same companies that are the cause of plastic pollution worldwide. Consumer goods companies are the largest buyers from fossil fuel companies that produce plastics. By changing their business models away from single-use products, they can have a tremendous positive impact on the climate, biodiversity, human health, and community well-being globally.
What types of litter are polluting the Brussels Canal?
The most frequently retrieved from the water are plastic bottles (402), followed by snack packaging such as Mars, Twix, and similar (366), cans (329), plastic bags (316), and smoking materials such as cigarette butts, packaging, and lighters (209). The vast majority of items in the top 15 are products consumed outdoors, and all of them are single-use packaging or products.
Plastic bottles (11%), cans (9%), and caps (4%) and labels (3%) from plastic bottles together account for 27% of the retrieved items. A physical deposit system could have kept these items out of nature years ago. The fact that we still find them in abundance is a direct result of lax government policy and resistance from the business sector. Even today, during various government formations, it remains unclear whether a deposit system will be implemented and whether the business sector will be able to obstruct it with their proposal for a digital deposit system. There are plenty of successful examples of physical deposit systems in our neighboring countries.
Plastic bottles (11%), cans (9%), and caps (4%) and labels (3%) from plastic bottles together account for 27% of the retrieved items. A physical deposit system could have kept these items out of nature years ago. The fact that we still find them in abundance is a direct result of lax government policy and resistance from the business sector. Even today, during various government formations, it remains unclear whether a deposit system will be implemented and whether the business sector will be able to obstruct it with their proposal for a digital deposit system. There are plenty of successful examples of physical deposit systems in our neighboring countries.
Just outside the top 15, at 19th place, we found glass bottles, with 42 retrieved pieces from the water. These were all beer and spirits bottles. Notably, 41 of these bottles were not deposit-returnable. Even though the deposit on beer bottles is only 10 cents, we still see its positive effect in litter statistics. The beer bottles we did find were Heineken beer bottles without a deposit. This sends a clear message to also implement deposits on foreign beer.
Just like in 2023, plastic bags, at 9%, are the fourth most commonly found item in the water. These were all white single-use bags without brand name received at the checkout. Plastic bags have been banned in Brussels and Wallonia since 2017. It is striking that all the bags have green text and logos intended to convince consumers that the bags are recyclable and not harmful to the environment. The most notable inscription we found was: ‘Planet safe plastic’. It is also clear that there has been a shift to circumvent the ban. The bags are now made thicker to qualify as reusable, at least 50µ, or they are biodegradable, but only under very specific conditions. It is evident that the ban has shortcomings; plastic bags still end up in the sea via our waterways, and now with larger quantities of plastic due to the thicker bags.
Other notable figures
66% of the plastic bottles are water bottles, with 43% being only Cristaline. This is despite the fact that water comes packaging-free from everyone’s tap.
We found 99 plastic and 84 paper cups for single use in the water (the paper cups also contain plastic inside). These are ranked 11th and 14th in the Brand Audit. Government policy is also needed here. For example, the Scottish government has launched several pilot projects to transition to reusable cups for take-away.
The vast majority of the retrieved drink pouches (99 out of 112) are from Caprisun, a non-recyclable packaging for consumption outside that easily ends up in the environment. These would also not fit into a physical deposit system. Such packaging should simply be banned.
What needs to be done?
The recent debate about litter along the Belgian coast echoed solutions such as more trash bins, more inspections, and more fines. In short, there is only one problem factor: the consumer, who needs to learn better habits. The issue with this is that this has been the rhetoric for decades, there are increasing amounts of litter, plastic production continues to rise, and more and more products are sold in single-use packaging. Where will this trajectory lead without intervention?
It is up to the government to finally take decisive action with structural solutions that have a real impact:
- 27% of litter: Introduce the physical deposit system of 25 cents on cans and plastic bottles.
- 9% of litter: Tighten the ban on plastic bags and close loopholes.
- 5% of litter: Ban single-use plastic and cardboard cups. Implement a system for reusable take-away cups.
- 3% of litter: Ban drink pouches like Caprisun.
- 1% of litter: Introduce deposits on all glass bottles, including foreign beer.
These measures address 45% of the litter by number.
More broadly, the government must also:
- Introduce a ban on misleading claims on products.
- Ban advertising for products in single-use packaging.
- Impose rising reuse quotas on producers and supermarkets.
And the business sector must also be held accountable:
- They must disclose their total plastic and raw material footprint.
- Reduce their use of plastics and raw materials.
- Redesign packaging to make it reusable or eliminate plastic.
- Adjust their business models and supply systems to gradually shift to refillable and reusable options accessible to everyone.
Only by doing this will we achieve litter-free beaches, parks, waterways, forests, and oceans. We need to completely reverse today’s norm of a linear disposable society to a circular reuse society where every package has value and multiple lives. It is time to break the recycling myth.
We call on all stakeholders involved in the various government formations to make litter and real structural solutions to litter a priority.