After years of campaigning, Students’ Union food spaces on campus are officially free of Coca-Cola products. The Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) are now exempt from Trinity’s Coca-Cola exclusivity contract, and Coca-Cola products are no longer available in the SU Shops or Café.
In a statement, TCDSU said this was “Building upon the work of the past few years of Unions; including sabbatical teams, PTOs, and students”. They also called it “a massive win for the autonomy of the SU Shops and Café”.
The statement also pointed out that this follows a referendum in 2018 where students overwhelmingly voted in favour of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). Coca-Cola is a BDS target because its Israeli operations are in illegal Israeli settlements. The Coca-Cola contract has been one of the sticking points between the college and TCDSU, following the college’s commitment to divest from Israel after an encampment in 2024.
The statement finished by saying that the Union is working to replace Coca-Cola coolers in SU zones on campus, and that while Lucozade are currently providing the new fridges, they are not bound by exclusivity and plan to showcase more products in the future.
Students also voted to remove Coca-Cola from SU spaces in 2004.
