Coca-Cola, criticized for plastic pollution, pledges 25% reusable packaging
The Coca-Cola Company (KO.N) on Thursday said it will aim for 25% of its packaging globally to be reusable by 2030, a move hailed by environmental groups who have called out the soft-drink maker for worldwide plastic pollution.
Coca-Cola is a top target for consumer, investor and environmental groups concerned about petroleum-based plastic single-use bottles clogging oceans, among other problems.
The company was the world’s worst plastic polluter for the fourth year in a row in 2021, according to the global coalition Break Free From Plastic’s annual report released in October.
“We hope that other companies will follow Coke’s leadership and set reusable packaging targets,” said the group’s global corporate campaign coordinator Emma Priestland.
Reusable packaging includes containers that can be refilled with original product by companies or consumers, such as refillable fountain drink containers and glass and plastic bottles that are refillable or returnable, the cola maker said, referring to reuse guidelines by nonprofit Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
In 2020, 16% of the company’s packaging was reusable. That year, 90% of its refillable glass and plastic containers were collected, it said.