A Sydney high school is taking a stand against Coca-Cola, which it says is obstructing moves towards a container deposit scheme.
The environmentally conscious teenagers at Canterbury Girls High School are boycotting the soft drink and the school's canteen has agreed to stop selling it.
''We've done this to let Coke know that we want a change,'' said year 9 student Thandiwe Gudu.
The school has already shunned bottled water, instead filling up drink bottles from a water fountain. More than half the student body signed a petition calling on the state government to support a national Cash for Containers scheme, which would offer recyclers 10¢ for every bottle returned.
The move could save councils across Australia up to $183 million a year on recycling costs, according to a study by the NSW Local Government Association.
But the students say Coca-Cola is trying to stymie the move by lobbying governments and even taking legal action against the Northern Territory when it introduced a scheme last year.
In response, they asked their canteen to stop selling Coke until either a national scheme was adopted or the company ''takes a more responsible approach to reducing the pollution cause by its products''.
The principal, Sue Holden, said: ''It's a fantastic local, student-driven initiative.''
A Coca-Cola spokeswoman said: "Coca-Cola Amatil is a strong supporter of recycling and wants to do so in a way that does not impose unnecessary costs on consumers. We'd encourage students to look at the numerous independent reports which show there are much better ways to reduce litter and increase recycling."
They don't offer any alternatives though do they?
Good to see the youngsters taking environmental matters seriously.
