What do you think explains why America has none of the top 10 polluting rivers? And only one of the top 1000? Despite the fact that we use massive amounts of plastic relative to most other countries, and that we are the headquarters of Coca-Cola.

It's laws. It's society. It's government. It's mobilization by citizens to get the government to regulate waste disposal -- to make improper disposal of waste illegal, and to fund the creation of easily-accessible environmentally-friendly waste disposal mechanisms.

Consuming soft drinks does not pollute the environment. Throwing bottles into rivers does. Your disdain for soft drinks has you mistaking these for the same thing.