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Diving overview:
- Coca-Cola Co. on Monday announced new packaging sustainability goals it plans to achieve by 2035, focusing on packaging design and post-use collection. This replaces previous targets, including targets for 2025 and 2030 related to recyclability, recycled content and reusable packaging.
- One of the new goals is to use 35-40% recycled materials in primary packaging (plastic, glass, aluminum), including increasing the use of recycled plastics globally to 30-35%. Another new goal focuses on collaboration to collect used packaging materials. The company aims to collect 70-75% of the bottles and cans that hit the market each year.
- Coca-Cola didn’t reveal any new goals related to reuse, but said it “plans to continue investing in refillable packaging for which the infrastructure already exists.”
Dive Insights:
Coca-Cola’s new goals appear to narrow the company’s ambitions as well as extend the target year across target areas. For example, in line with the beverage giant’s World Without Waste campaign, in 2018 the company committed to making 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2030. Now the focus is on collecting the equivalent of three-quarters of the bottles and cans that hit the market each year.
Coca-Cola noted some caveats in this effort. When it comes to increasing the recycled content of primary plastic, glass and aluminum packaging, the company noted that cost, quality and scaling issues could impact implementation. In 2023, 47.7% of Coca-Cola’s packaging mix was plastic bottles, 26% were aluminum and steel bottles and cans, and 10.4% were glass bottles.
Regarding collection, the company highlighted the challenges of recycling differences between jurisdictions and the importance of collective action. “The company will continue to focus on increasing advocacy for well-designed collection systems,” he said. Coca-Cola suggested there is room for growth if the new collection target hits the 75% target, saying it “will continue to work to further increase collections over the long term.”
Coca-Cola’s challenges are “complex” as it pursues “evolved voluntary environmental goals,” Bea Perez, senior vice president and global chief communications, sustainability and strategic partnerships officer, said in the announcement.
Break Free From Plastic criticized Coca-Cola for its apparent departure from its reuse targets.
“Coca-Cola’s pledge lasted less time than one of its reusable bottles is expected to be in circulation,” Sam Pearse, campaign director for The Story of Stuff Project, said in a BFFP press release. “The fact that the company’s share of reusable packaging has fallen further since its 25% reuse pledge reflects a serious lack of intent.” In 2023, 1.2% of Coca-Cola’s plastic packaging was reusable.
In a short environmental update published in August, Coca-Cola calculated a recyclability rate of 90% across its portfolio. The percentage of recycled PET used in primary consumer packaging was 17%. The company announced that while it was “on track” to meet its 2025 target to make all packaging recyclable globally, it was “behind schedule” to meet its 2030 recycled content and collection targets.
It also noted that rival PepsiCo is unlikely to meet its 2025 goal of designing 100% of its packaging to be recyclable, compostable, biodegradable or reusable this year.
Coca-Cola’s announcement sparked a wave of changes to packaging goals from brands including Unilever and Grove this year ahead of 2025. It also comes as the company faces lawsuits over its role in plastic pollution, including from Los Angeles County and Baltimore City.
Coca-Cola also participates in the US Plastics Pact. The agreement last year revamped its 2025 targets on virgin plastic reduction, recycling, PCR and bio-based content. The updated roadmap sets targets for 2030.
Additionally, Coca-Cola has signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment, which launched in 2018. According to EMF’s latest progress report, Coca-Cola is one of the companies that has increased its use of pure plastics rather than reducing it. 6% since 2019.
