In 2022, Coca-Cola pledged to make 25% of its packaging reusable by 2030, but it now appears to have quietly removed the promise from its website.
As Grist reported, the company set a target of selling a quarter of its drinks in returnable or refillable glass or plastic bottles by the end of the decade. Industry leaders touted this as a revolutionary method of handling the plastic pollution crisis, and the reuse program has already had a significant impact. As of 2023, reusable plastic and glass bottles accounted for over 50% of Coke's drink sales in 20 markets.
Coca-Cola also pledged in 2020 to reduce its use of virgin plastics, vowing to eliminate 3.3 million tons of the material "derived from nonrenewable sources" from its supply chain by 2025, per Grist.
However, as of November, the company had scrapped both sustainability objectives, deleting the pledges from its website. In a blog post in December, Coca-Cola announced updated environmental goals, which Grist noted are regressive compared to its previous plans.
Coke said it now hopes to make 35% to 40% of its primary packaging (plastic, glass, and aluminum) from recycled material by 2035, rather than 50% by 2030.
Furthermore, instead of making all its packaging recyclable by 2025 and recycling or collecting one bottle or can for each one sold, its new goal is a 70-75% collection rate of the equivalent number of bottles and cans that enter the market annually by 2035.
Coca-Cola didn't disclose why it abandoned its reuse goals, but Grist explained that it could be related to anti-greenwashing laws approved by the European Union in 2024. Since Coke was already falling short on its virgin plastic reduction and reusable packaging goals, the company may be trying to avoid lawsuits or public criticism.
Coke isn't the only company falling behind on its packaging goals — hundreds of major companies are failing to meet their voluntary plastics commitments, according to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation cited by Grist. Sam Pearse, plastics campaign director for the nonprofit Story of Stuff Project, worries this is part of a larger trend of corporations shirking their environmental responsibilities.
"Once you start seeing that cycle a number of times, it's hard to not be skeptical about the intention," Pearse told Grist.
|
Should companies be required to help recycle their own products?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 According to a 2024 study, Coca-Cola is the largest global producer of branded plastic pollution, so it should be held accountable for addressing its plastic waste. Millions of animals die each year from choking on or being entangled in plastic, and chemicals from the materials leach into waterways and soil.
Reducing the production of single-use plastic is one of the best ways to protect the planet and lower pollution. According to research shared by Grist, replacing 10% of single-use plastics with reusable alternatives could slash the amount of plastic waste entering the oceans in half.
"That Coca-Cola has abandoned its refillable commitment is alarming, regrettable, and regressive," Frances Fairhead-Stanova, a shareholder advocate for the eco-friendly mutual fund Green Century Capital Management, told Grist.
"We remain committed to building long-term business resilience and earning our social license to operate through our evolved voluntary environmental goals," Bea Perez, Coca‑Cola executive vice president and global chief communications, sustainability, and strategic partnerships officer, said in a statement.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
