UMass Amherst is currently under a beverage contract with Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola’s global manufacturing sites produced approximately 5.24 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. The Coca-Cola Company is one of the worst offenders for plastic pollution, producing approximately three million metric tons of plastic packaging annually around the world. The annual emissions from mismanaged plastic waste created by Coca-Cola is estimated to be 2.5 million metric tons across just six nations (China, Brazil, India, The Philippines, Mexico, and Nigeria). Their plastic production process also relies on fossil fuels, resulting in significant CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Long story short, Coke is bad for the environment and UMass continues to work with them as a partner. With your help, we can bring this issue to the UMass board where they can reconsider their partnership with Coke. Other options such as Polar or Pepsi would be a much better sustainable beverage partnership. This issue is one that affects everyone of us, believe it or not. Climate change is a problem that we are all facing and if we want to make a difference, it starts within our institutions and Universities. Help make a difference today and sign your name!