Activists from Greenpeace have blocked the entrance to Coca-Cola's headquarter in Britain with a 2.5-ton sculpture showing seagulls vomiting plastic, calling for the beverage manufacturer to do more to prevent plastic marine pollution.
Campaigners set up camps outside the company's office in central London on Monday, and installed the sculpture made from sand and Coca-Cola bottles.
The sculpture features a five-member family in a happy beach scene, but next to them are several model seagulls regurgitating plastic rubbish.
Monday's protest coincided with a press release by Greenpeace, urging the soft drinks giant to reduce the manufacturing of single-use plastic bottles.
Coca-Cola has launched its "lightweighting" program to make bottles thinner to reduce costs, plastic use and carbon emissions, "but lightweighting does not prevent Coca-Cola's plastic bottles from entering the ocean and threatening marine life," the statement said.
According to Greenpeace, Coca-Cola, the world's largest soft drinks company produces an estimated 100 billion throwaway plastic bottles every year, and billions of these ended up on beaches, in landfill and in the ocean.
"This is affecting sea life -- a third of turtles and 90 percent of seabirds are now estimated to have ingested plastic," Greenpeace said.
In a statement by Coco-Cola in Britain, the company said it was "disappointed by the stunt and the report from Greenpeace."
"Globally, we continue to increase the use of recycled plastic in countries where it is feasible and permitted," it said.
"We agree that action is needed, are open to doing more and to working with others to create long-term, effective solutions," it added.
