By Abbas Nazil
Coca-Cola company has sparked global outrage over its contribution to plastic pollution crisis following the reduction of its sustainability threshold and milestone.
The beverage giant had announced a new target of incorporating 35% to 40% recycled material into its packaging by 2035, a substantial reduction from its earlier pledge of 50% by 2030.
In its announcement, Coca-Cola stated that the revised targets were informed by “learnings gathered through decades of work in sustainability, periodic assessment of progress, and identified challenges.”
The company emphasized the need for “more effective and efficient resource allocation” to achieve long-term resilience.
However, critics view the changes as a retreat from earlier commitments and a step backwards in addressing the escalating plastic waste problem.
The company has also scaled back its recycling ambitions, which in 2018 pledged to recycle the plastic equivalent of every bottle it sold by 2030.
That goal has now been reduced to “ensuring the collection” of 70% to 75% of bottles and cans introduced into the market annually, without specifying a timeline.
This vagueness has raised concerns about accountability and the company’s dedication to combating plastic waste.
Environmental groups were quick to condemn the revised goals. Oceana, a leading conservation organization, labeled the changes “short-sighted” and “irresponsible.”
Matt Littlejohn, Oceana’s senior vice president of strategic initiatives, criticized the company for failing to address its significant role in plastic pollution.
“Coca-Cola’s new and weak recycling-related pledges won’t make a dent in its overall plastic use,” he said, urging investors and governments to hold the company accountable.
Plastic pollution remains a pressing global issue, with single-use plastics, often derived from fossil fuels, contributing extensively to environmental degradation.
A recent report from the Minderoo Foundation revealed record levels of plastic production despite corporate sustainability pledges.
Coca-Cola, named the world’s top plastic polluter for six consecutive years by the environmental organization Break Free from Plastic, exemplifies the problem.
In 2023, the non-profit’s audit identified 33,830 pieces of Coca-Cola-branded plastic waste among over half a million pieces of plastic litter collected across 40 countries.
Break Free from Plastic accused Coca-Cola of greenwashing saying, “this 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.”
Critics argue that the company’s actions prioritize profit over environmental responsibility, despite its claims of pursuing “lasting positive impact” through partnerships and revised goals.
While Coca-Cola highlighted initiatives such as introducing 100% recycled plastic bottles for several soda products in the U.S. earlier this year, these efforts have not quelled criticism.
The company estimated that this move would eliminate 83 million pounds of new plastic annually, equivalent to about two billion bottles. Nevertheless, environmentalists contend that these measures are insufficient to tackle the systemic issues of plastic production and waste management.
The backlash against Coca-Cola’s scaled-back targets underscores the increasing pressure on corporations to take meaningful action against plastic pollution.
As public awareness of the environmental toll of plastics grows, companies that fail to deliver on sustainability promises risk reputational damage and potential regulatory or financial consequences.
For Coca-Cola, the world’s largest beverage producer, its revised goals may mark a critical juncture in balancing business priorities with mounting demands for environmental accountability.