Coca-Cola-Free Campus: Trinity College Dublin Students' Union Breaks Exclusive Contract

Students at Trinity College Dublin have achieved a long-awaited victory in their campaign to remove Coca-Cola products from SU Shops and Café on campus. After years of campaigning, the university's Students' Union has announced that it is finally free from the exclusivity contract with the beverage giant.

The move follows a referendum in 2018 where students overwhelmingly voted in favor of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), which targets companies operating in illegal Israeli settlements. Coca-Cola's operations in Israel have been a contentious issue for years, with the company being criticized for its presence in settlements.

The university had previously blocked attempts to remove Coca-Cola from SU spaces as far back as 2004, but the latest development marks a significant breakthrough for student activists. TCDSU stated that this was 'a massive win for the autonomy of the SU Shops and Café' and acknowledged the role of previous sabbatical teams, PTOs, and students in achieving this goal.

The Union is now working to replace Coca-Cola coolers with new fridges, which will be supplied by Lucozade. While Lucozade has agreed not to bind itself with exclusivity contracts, the company plans to showcase a wider range of products in the future.