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Coca-Cola's Annual Plastic Footprint Forecasted to Grow to 9.1 Billion Pounds by 2030

1. Coca-Cola's plastic use may exceed 9.1 billion pounds by 2030 without changes. 2. This represents a 40% increase since 2018, exacerbating pollution concerns. 3. Current recycling measures are deemed insufficient to mitigate plastic footprint. 4. Oceana suggests a shift to reusable packaging to decrease plastic usage significantly. 5. Coca-Cola faces rising scrutiny as a major plastic polluter influencing public perception.

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Why Bearish?

Coca-Cola's ongoing plastic pollution issues could lead to stricter regulations and boycotts, similar to precedents set with other large corporations facing environmental blowback, which historically has led to stock price declines.

How important is it?

The report addresses critical environmental challenges posed by Coca-Cola's practices, affecting its branding and operational sustainability, likely influencing investor sentiment.

Why Long Term?

As consumer awareness and regulatory focus on environmental issues grow, Coca-Cola may face ongoing scrutiny and pressure for sustainable practices, impacting its reputation and financial performance in the long run.

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WASHINGTON, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Oceana released a new report that projects The Coca-Cola Company’s plastic use will exceed 9.1 billion pounds (4.1 million metric tons) per year by 2030 if the company does not change its practices. This would be nearly a 40% increase over the company’s reported plastic use in 2018 and a 20% increase over the company’s most recently reported plastic use in 2023, which was already enough plastic to circle the Earth more than 100 times. The report also estimates that up to 1.3 billion pounds (602,000 metric tons) of the plastic packaging that Coca-Cola uses annually by 2030 would enter the world’s waterways and oceans if the company continues on its current course. This amount of plastic could fill the stomachs of over 18 million blue whales.   “Coca-Cola’s future is currently tied, like an albatross around its neck, to single-use plastic,” said Oceana’s Senior Vice President Matt Littlejohn. “Single-use plastic is bad for the oceans, human health, and business. Recycling can’t solve the company’s out-of-control plastic problem. Reuse can.” Oceana found that if Coca-Cola were to reach 26.4% reusable packaging by 2030 (up from 10.2% in 2023), the company could “bend its plastic curve” — reducing its annual plastic use below current levels. Reusable bottles can be used up to 25 times if made of plastic and up to 50 times if made of glass. Meaning, a reusable bottle prevents the production and use of up to 49 additional single-use bottles. Coca-Cola already faces increasing scrutiny for its plastic use. A peer-reviewed study in the journal Science found that Coca-Cola was the number one polluter of branded plastic found in the environment. Unfortunately, the Coca-Cola Company communicated in December 2024 that it had discarded its goal to increase reusable packaging to 25% of the company’s sales. In place of its former goals, Coca-Cola announced it is focused on increasing the use of recycled content and on the collection of its single-use plastic bottles for recycling. The company disclosed that it had invested nearly $1 billion to buy recycled plastic in 2022 (in place of virgin plastic). And yet, as Oceana’s report details, collecting plastic for recycling, and selling single-use packaging with recycled plastic content, will not reduce the company’s overall plastic footprint.  “Single-use plastic bottles made with recycled content can — just like bottles made of virgin plastic — still become marine pollution and harm ocean life,” Littlejohn added. Coca-Cola may face even more criticism given the company’s rapidly growing plastic footprint and mounting public concern about the impact of plastic on human health. Studies are increasingly connecting plastics and the chemicals used in plastics to health issues like cancer, infertility, heart disease, autism, and diabetes. “The Coca-Cola Company’s plastic use and status as one of the most famous plastic polluters in the world is a liability for the future of the company, the oceans, and the planet. Coca-Cola needs to take real action to address its plastic problem now instead of focusing on measures that don’t meaningfully reduce its single-use plastic footprint,” Littlejohn said. If the company is unwilling to address its plastic footprint, Oceana recommends that policymakers consider taking measures to ensure that the company’s global plastic problem is addressed. Media kit available here.Coca-Cola’s response to the report available here. Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 325 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit Oceana.org to learn more. Contacts: Gillian Spolarich, Anna Baxter | email: gspolarich@oceana.org, abaxter@oceana.org

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