Coca-Cola is a world-famous beverage brand. However, it has faced significant criticism regarding plastic pollution and its impact on various environmental issues, including global climate change. This is our investigation into some of these claims currently circulating on social media platforms.
Social Media Posts
Some social media posts claim that Coca-Cola has completely abandoned its recycling targets.
Some social media posts claim that Coca-Cola has abandoned its plan to make reusable bottles in favor of single-use plastic bottles and has reduced its recycling targets.
We decided to do a fact-check on this.
Fact Check
First, we checked what the Coca-Cola company currently says about recycling or reusable packaging on its official website.
They mention their goal is to use 35% to 40% recycled material in their primary packaging (plastic, glass and aluminum), including increasing recycled plastic use to 30% to 35% globally by 2035. More details can be read here. Archived
They further said their goal is to help collect 70% to 75% of the equivalent number of bottles and cans introduced into the market annually by 2035. Collecting and recycling packaging also means potentially giving packages more than one life. More details can be read here Archived
Coca Cola Web (2024 pledge) | Archived
So, it’s clear that social media posts claiming that Coca-Cola totally abandoned its recycling plans, and other such claims are misleading the public.
Then, we checked the ongoing media reports about this issue, and the following insights were found.
The Guardian newspaper, based in the UK, reported that Coca-Cola was accused of quietly dropping its 25% reusable packaging target. We delved deep into the article. The article says that in 2022, Coca-Cola pledged to have more recycling procedures than the currently updated ones.
As per the Guardian, researchers have previously found Coca-Cola to be among the world’s most polluting brands regarding plastic waste.
The newspaper report says that in 2022, the company promised to sell 25% of its drinks in refillable or returnable glass or plastic bottles or in refillable containers that could be filled up at fountains or “Coca-Cola freestyle dispensers”.
The report pointed out that shortly before this year’s global plastics summit, the company deleted the page on its website outlining this promise, and it no longer has a target for reusable packaging.
It further alleged that the company’s packaging targets now say it will “aim to use 35% to 40% recycled material in primary packaging (plastic, glass and aluminum), including increasing recycled plastic use to 30% to 35% globally.” Its previous goal promised to “use 50% recycled material in their packaging by 2030”.
The current pledge also says the company will “help ensure the collection of 70% to 75% of the equivalent number of bottles and cans introduced into the market annually”.
However, in its latest update on packaging methods and ways, Coca-Cola does not mention reusable package production and has not officially commented on it. We contacted Coca-Cola management about the issue and will update the article with their responses.
Then we checked about the past pledges or promises of the Coca-Cola company regarding reusable bottle production and recycling of packaging materials.
In 2018, Coca-Cola announced a pledge to recycle a used bottle or can for everyone the company sells by 2030(100% recycling).
Coca-Cola announced its “World Without Waste” campaign by acknowledging that food and drink companies were responsible for much of the rise in litter on streets, beaches and in the oceans worldwide. “The world has a packaging problem – and, like all companies, we have a responsibility to help solve it,” Coca-Cola chief executive James Quincey said in a 2018 statement. More details about it can be read here: Archived.
In 2022, the company stated on their official webpage,
“The Coca‑Cola Company announced an industry-leading goal to boost its use of reusable packaging significantly. By 2030, the company aims to have at least 25% of all beverages globally across its portfolio of brands sold in refillable/returnable glass or plastic bottles or in refillable containers through a traditional fountain or Coca‑Cola Freestyle dispensers”.
Coca Cola 2022 Pledge (Archived)
The above page is currently unavailable on the Coca-Cola website, and only the archived version is available on internet archiving sites.
Conclusion
As per our investigation, Coca-Cola did not totally abandon its reusable packaging and recycling plans. Its latest updates minimized the strength of its recycling targets and did not mention reusable package manufacturing. So, we have contacted Coca-Cola to get a comment regarding this issue, and with their response, we will update our article.
Title:Did Coca-Cola abandon its recycling targets?
Fact Check By: Fact Crescendo TeamResult: Missing Context
