New York — December 4, 2024 — As the global Plastics Treaty talks just concluded in Busan with no agreement, The Coca-Cola Company announced on December 2nd what it calls an ‘evolution’ in their environmental goals. However, the announcement marks a significant de-evolution as the Top Plastics Polluter has completely dropped its 2022 goal of achieving a 25% reusable packaging target by 2030. Instead, Coca-Cola continues to focus on failed recycling goals that will do little to address the plastic crisis.
The webpage where Coca-Cola published its original 2022 pledge (see archive version here), which was also mentioned on their Word Without Waste page (see archive version here) now both pages show a quite telling ‘Sorry, we can’t find what you’re looking for” 404 error. The original pledge publication seems to have been deleted sometime after November 20th, 2024, right before the start of the fifth round of Plastics Treaty negotiations. The company’s new announcement includes no mention of its reusable commitment as if it never existed.
"Coca-Cola’s pledge lasted less time than one of their reusable bottles might expect to be in circulation,” said Sam Pearse, Campaign Director of The Story of Stuff Project. “The fact that the company’s share of reusable packaging only dropped down further after the 25% reuse pledge reflects a serious lack of intent.”
A peer-reviewed study published by Science Advances, based on BFFP Brand Audit data, reveals a 1:1 relationship between the amount of plastic a company uses and the amount found in the environment. This strong correlation between consumer goods companies’ plastic production and pollution across geographies and widely varying waste management systems suggests that reducing the use of plastic in the fast-moving consumer goods sector is a viable solution to curb global plastic pollution.
“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, said Prigi Arisandi Founder of Ecoton. “To secure a future free from the harms of plastic pollution, we must dramatically reduce plastic production, and reuse systems are a critical, effective solution in this fight.”
“Coca Cola has consistently ranked among the top polluting brands in BFFP brand audits conducted across Latin America. Coke continues to rely on single-used products primarily derived from petroleum, all while repeatedly promoting its ‘sustainable packaging,’" said María José García, Executive Director of Fundación el Arbol Chile. "By abandoning its commitment to reusable packaging, Coca-Cola exacerbates the injustice faced by communities already suffereing from the impacts of plastic pollution."
Coca-Cola’s decision to walk away from its reusable goals underscores the need for mandatory regulations that hold companies accountable for the pollution they cause. As world leaders extend Plastics Treaty negotiations into 2025, delegations must continue to support a high-ambition legally binding treaty that includes provisions on corporate accountability, prioritizing plastic production reduction measures, and scaling reuse and refill systems.
"Coke's latest move is a masterclass in greenwashing, ditching previously announced reuse targets, and choosing to flood the planet with more plastic they can't even collect and recycle effectively. This only reinforces the company’s reputation as the World’s Top Plastic polluter,” said Von Hernandez, Global Coordinator of Break Free from Plastic. “If they can’t even keep their low-bar commitments, how can they claim to be serious about addressing the global plastic crisis?”
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Notes to the editor
- Additional Break Free From Plastic quotes will be available here
- Coca Cola’s commitment: “to help ensure the collection of 70% to 75% of the equivalent number of bottles and cans introduced into the market annually” is lower than the legal obligation in Europe under the EU SUP Directive, which requires 90% separate collection of single-use plastic bottles for recycling by 2029.
About BFFP — #BreakFreeFromPlastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. Since its launch in 2016, more than 3,400 organizations and 14,000 individual supporters from across the world have joined the movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics and push for lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. BFFP member organizations and individuals share the values of environmental protection and social justice and work together through a holistic approach to bring about systemic change. This means tackling plastic pollution across the whole plastics value chain – from extraction to disposal – focusing on prevention rather than cure and providing effective solutions. www.breakfreefromplastic.org.
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