Coca-Cola's decision to abandon its reusable packaging goals is not just greenwashing—it's a betrayal of the communities in Asia that are already bearing the brunt of plastic pollution. As one of the region's top plastic polluters, Coca-Cola continues to flood our lands and waterways with waste that harms the most vulnerable, Prigi Arisandi, the founder of Ecoton, said to BreakFreefromPlastic. Oceana's latest report, 'Coca-Cola's World With Waste,' highlighted the reality of the beverage company's plastic creation and pollution. If today's trends continue, its annual plastic use will exceed 9.1 billion pounds by 2030, a 40% increase from 2018 and a 20% increase from 2023. Coca-Cola also quietly attempted to bow out of its previous sustainability promises in December 2024. It previously announced a goal of increasing reusable packaging to 25% of sales and invested $1 billion to source recycled plastic in 2022. The webpage that shared those sustainability goals now displays a 404 error. 'Coca-Cola'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,' Oceana Senior Vice President Matt Littlejohn said, according to Sustainable Times. '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.' Many organizations are advocating for the ocean by attempting to hold companies such as Coca-Cola accountable and to prevent further greenwashing. However, it's important to note that Coca-Cola is working on other sustainability initiatives. The company is fighting against plastic waste in Asia with an initiative that provides resources and funding to accelerate plastic waste management solutions in nine countries. It also announced that it plans to include 50% recycled materials in its packaging by 2030. If such initiatives succeed, they could create impactful change swiftly, and we could have a real chance to clean up our oceans.

Coca-Cola slammed after quiet policy change: 'Needs to take real action'

Coca-Cola's decision to abandon its reusable packaging goals is criticized for being a betrayal of communities in Asia and a continuation of its role as a major plastic polluter. The company's previous sustainability promise of increasing reusable packaging to 25% of sales and investing $1 billion in recycled plastic materials in 2022 has been quietly shelved, with the webpage displaying a 404 error. While Coca-Cola continues to work on other initiatives, such as providing resources and funding for plastic waste management in nine Asian countries, and plans to include 50% recycled materials in its packaging by 2030, environmental groups call for immediate and meaningful action to address its plastic footprint.