05 Dec 2024 Coca-Cola scales back its plastic promises
Coca-Cola is significantly reducing its commitments to sustainable packaging, prompting backlash from environmental activists.…
Long criticised for its substantial role in plastic pollution, Coca-Cola has announced changes to its “voluntary environmental goals”.
For instance, it now plans to incorporate 35% to 40% recycled materials in its packaging by 2035, a notable drop from its earlier target of 50% by 2030.
In a press release, Coca-Cola attributed this shift to lessons learned from decades of sustainability efforts, ongoing evaluations and recognised obstacles.
Additionally, the company has revised its recycling objectives. Originally intending to recycle the equivalent of every bottle released by 2030, it has now shifted to a goal of ensuring the collection of 70% to 75% of its bottles and cans each year, without specifying a timeline.
Single-use plastic pollution remains a significant concern. A recent report from the Minderoo Foundation highlights that many companies are increasing plastic production despite claims of pursuing sustainability.
Bea Perez, Coca-Cola’s executive vice president for sustainability and strategic partnerships, stated, “We remain committed to building long-term business resilience and earning our social license to operate through our evolved voluntary environmental goals.”
She emphasised that effectively addressing these complex challenges requires better resource allocation and collaboration with partners to achieve lasting positive impacts.
In reaction to these changes, environmental organisation Oceana condemned Coca-Cola’s new approach as “short-sighted and irresponsible,” calling for condemnation from consumers, employees, investors, and governments concerned about plastic’s effects on health and marine environments.
Matt Littlejohn, Oceana’s senior vice president of strategic initiatives, asserted that the company’s revised recycling goals would not significantly reduce overall plastic consumption and urged global stakeholders to hold Coca-Cola accountable.
Earlier this year, Coca-Cola introduced bottles made entirely from recycled plastic for its various soda offerings, anticipating a reduction of 83 million pounds of plastic in its US supply chain, equivalent to two billion bottles.
For the sixth consecutive year in 2023, Coca-Cola was identified as the top plastic polluter by the organisation Break Free from Plastic.
It recorded 33,830 pieces of waste out of a total of 537,719 evaluated across 40 countries, with Coca-Cola bottles being the most frequently discarded items in public spaces like parks and beaches.
Break Free from Plastic has criticised these recent changes as a “masterclass in greenwashing,” asserting that the company is abandoning its original reuse targets while contributing to the proliferation of plastic that it struggles to collect and recycle effectively.
Source: CNN, Coca-Cola