The Coca-Cola Company released an updated version of its voluntary environmental goals earlier this month, eliminating its targets for the use of re-fillable packaging. The was no mention of the change in the text of the softdrink giant's "evolved" goals document. The concern also dialled back its objectives on the use of recycled materials and target collection rates for bottles and cans and extended the deadline for the achievement of its objectives to 2035.
Without referring to its previous targets, Coca-Cola said the "evolution" of its goals was "informed by learnings gathered through decades of work in sustainability, periodic assessment of progress and identified challenges".
As recently as 2022, the company had sought to raise the share of its beverages sold worldwide in refillable glass or plastic bottles or via dispensers used together with refillable containers to at least 25 per cent by 2030. But in the revised version of its voluntary environmental goals, Coca-Cola states only its intention "to invest in refillable packaging where infrastructure already exists". At present, users trying to find the webpage where the original 2022 pledge was published get only a 404 error message.
The company now aims to achieve between 35 and 40 per cent recycled material in the production of its primary plastic, glass and aluminium packaging. The share of recycled plastics is to be increased globally to 30 to 35 per cent, said the company. The previous target, across all packaging materials, had been set at 50 per cent to be achieved by 2030.
Following the update, the targets for separate collection are also less ambitious. The concern is now only seeking to reach a collection rate equivalent to 70-75 per cent of the bottles and cans it places into circulation. Previously, Coca-Cola had a target rate of 100 per cent. In 2023, the equivalent of 63 per cent of its bottles and cans were collected for refilling or recycling, according to the company.
Criticism from environmental groups
Environmental non-profit organisations condemned not only the watering down of Coca-Cola's voluntary targets and the lack of transparency in the process, but also the timing of the announcement, which came shortly after the latest round of negotiations for the planned UN agreement on plastics in Busan, South Korea, ended without agreement.
Environmental group Oceana said that the beverage company had "a responsibility to take real ownership over the waste and pollution it creates. Instead, it is kicking the plastic bottle down the road and into the sea – again."
"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 at the NGO 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?", he added.
Break Free from Plasic argues that Coca-Cola's decision to drop its goals on bottle reuse "underscores the need for mandatory regulations that hold companies accountable for the pollution they cause". The organisation calls on delegates to the Plastics Treaty negations to continue to support a legally binding treaty that includes provisions on corporate accountability, prioritising measures to reduce plastic production, and on scaling reuse and refill systems.
