The negative impacts on the environment and health of its customers are the reasons behind Okere Falls Store's decision to stop selling Coca-Cola products.

The Rotorua café and boutique grocery announced its decision with a sign that's been erected at the store, as well as online in a post to Facebook on Wednesday.

Okere Falls Store owner Sarah Uhl has made the decision to no-longer stock Coca-Cola products at the Rotorua café and boutique grocery. Benn Bathgate/Fairfax NZ

According to the Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand website the company offers a range of products which are mostly sold in plastic bottles and includes carbonated fizzy drinks, water, energy and isotonic sports drinks and juices

'If you like Fizzy Drinks we want to leave a better taste in your mouth. From mid October we will no longer be stoking Coca Cola products,” the sign reads.

'We believe what you drink should not only taste good, it should be good for the land…Put it simply – plastic bottles are an environmental nightmare at every points of their exsistence [sic].”

The store also believes fizzy drinks should be good for people as much as possible, meaning they shouldn't contain preservatives or phosphoric acid, 'a cheap chemical that is good for removing rust”.

Fizzy drinks also shouldn't contain high fructose corn syrup, colouring, ‘e' numbers, or any ingredients that a person cannot pronounce and is not loaded with sugar.

Since announcing the decision on Facebook on Wednesday the post has received more than 80 comments, with the overwhelming majority supporting Okere Falls Store's stance.

'Awesome store, awesome attitude. Although my hubby is a BIG coke fan, we both support your stance. It's responsible, and it's gutsy,” writes one user

While another says: 'Awesome decision, fully support you and love your vision for a healthy environment and healthy people.”

But some have questioned they're approach. One user asks why the store singled out Coca-Cola, whether they'll refuse to stock plastic bottles from other companies, and if they'll only sell cans and glass bottled drinks from now on.

'Ok, fight against plastic - cool. Now you're targeting things like words you can't pronounce. What if someone can pronounce the word? Can they buy it?” the user asks.

'Don't blame someones [sic] education and inability to pronounce words as limiting factor to what they can eat or drink, or you start sounding like that stupid bint 'Food Babe'.'Considering most drinks are loaded with sugar or sweetener (aspartame gives you cancer didn't know you!) including 'fruit juice' drinks, I'd be interested to know what drinks you actually stock now.”

In reply, the store says they appreciate the user's position but points out they offer other fizzy drinks and juices that both contain less sugar, less flavouring, and comes in glass bottles.

'What absolutely scares us is that by 2050 if we keep doing what we are doing (using single use plastic in the quantity that we do) there will be more plastic in the world's ocean than fish. Never mind the 40% obesity rate of our children today.

'So we are taking personal action - and have asked ourselves "what can we do?". I am a strong believer change starts with the small people. All we are doing is making a change that is occurring all around the world in small communities - to help try and make a better world,” the store says.