TV adverts by The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) owned Innocent were banned by a UK watchdog amid allegations of “greenwashing”.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled the tv ads were misleading after the drinks group urged consumers to 'fix up the planet' by buying its products.
Innocent bottles contain non-recycled plastic which have an impact on the environment and it was misleading to imply they are an environmentally friendly choice, the ASA said according to reports.
Innocent said it was "disappointed" with the decision and it only intended to show "the need for collective action".
The brand claimed the advert was meant to promote the benefits of recycling and encourage consumers to step up efforts to achieve a healthier planet.
It highlighted its efforts to develop more sustainable packaging as Coca-Cola plans to recycle 70% of bottles by 2023.
The ASA has recently tightened regulations on environmental communications alongside the Green Claims Code announced by the UK Competition and Markets Authority.
Alpro and Oatly were among the first brands to fall foul of the new guidelines.
The ASA also found Lipton's Ice Tea had misled customers by claiming incorrectly its bottles were made from 100% recycled plastic.
"Little Drinks, Big Dreams', Innocent's animated ad in question showcased a ditty illustrating how the environment is being degraded by pollution, litter and dirty rivers. In the ad, the alternative was shown as adopting a greener lifestyle, planting trees, and squeezing fruit into Innocent bottles.
Environment pressure group Plastic Rebellion and several consumers complained.
Plastics Rebellion publicly challenged the ad for exaggerating the product's environmental benefits.
The activist group claimed Innocent was misleading the public about the dangers of plastic on human health and the environment, as well as "trivialising the horrific scale of the problem by repeating the mantra: 'reduce, reuse, recycle'".
Approximately three million tonnes of plastic packaging are produced by Coca-Cola every year - equaling 200,000 bottles every minute, the Guardian reported.
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) was one of the world’s top plastic polluters, according to a report by pressure group Break Free From Plastic.