Coca-Cola slammed after quiet policy change: 'Needs to take real action'

Beverage giant Coca-Cola has quietly gone back on its environmental promises and has increased its plastic use to a concerning level. According to a report shared by Oceana, Coca-Cola is on track to use 9.1 billion pounds of plastic annually by 2030.

What's happening?

Oceana's latest report, "Coca-Cola's World With Waste," highlighted the reality of the beverage company's plastic creation and pollution. If today's trends continue, its annual plastic use will exceed 9.1 billion pounds by 2030. This number is a 40% increase from 2018 and a 20% increase from 2023.

Coca-Cola also quietly attempted to bow out of its previous sustainability promises in December 2024. It previously announced a goal of increasing reusable packaging to 25% of sales and invested $1 billion to source recycled plastic in 2022. The webpage that shared those sustainability goals now displays a 404 error.

"Coca-Cola's decision to abandon its reusable packaging goals is not just greenwashing—it's a betrayal of the communities in Asia that are already bearing the brunt of plastic pollution. As one of the region's top plastic polluters, Coca-Cola continues to flood our lands and waterways with waste that harms the most vulnerable," Prigi Arisandi, the founder of Ecoton, said to BreakFreefromPlastic.

Why is Coca-Cola's greenwashing important?

Coca-Cola is the No. 1 branded plastic polluter. It sells 1.9 billion servings of its beverages every day across over 200 countries.

Oceana estimates that there will be 1.3 billion pounds of plastic waste from Coca-Cola alone in 2030, which is enough to fill the stomachs of 18 million blue whales. The organization said that "if Coca-Cola refuses to curb its plastic output, policymakers may be forced to intervene," implying that lawsuits could follow that could cost the company serious money in fines if it cannot make adjustments to reduce plastic.

"The Coca-Cola Company's plastic use and status as one of the most famous plastic polluters in the world is a liability for the future of the company, the oceans, and the planet," Oceana Senior Vice President Matt Littlejohn said, according to Sustainable Times. "Coca-Cola needs to take real action to address its plastic problem now instead of focusing on measures that don't meaningfully reduce its single-use plastic footprint."

What's being done about Coca-Cola's greenwashing?

Many organizations are advocating for the ocean by attempting to hold companies such as Coca-Cola accountable and to prevent further greenwashing. However, it's important to note that Coca-Cola is working on other sustainability initiatives.

The company is fighting against plastic waste in Asia with an initiative that provides resources and funding to accelerate plastic waste management solutions in nine countries. It also announced that it plans to include 50% recycled materials in its packaging by 2030. If such initiatives succeed, they could create impactful change swiftly, and we could have a real chance to clean up our oceans.

"Single-use plastic is bad for the oceans, human health, and business. Recycling can't solve the company's out-of-control plastic problem. Reuse can," Littlejohn said in the Sustainable Times article. "Coca-Cola needs to take real action to address its plastic problem now instead of focusing on measures that don't meaningfully reduce its single-use plastic footprint."

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