Big Sipper? Coca-Cola's Plastic Waste Expected to Touch 602m Kilograms Annually by 2030:

Coca-Cola, global manufacturer and seller of beverages, is identified to be the biggest branded plastic litter bug, and the company’s plastic products are expected to contribute to an estimated 602 million kilograms of plastic waste entering the world's oceans and waterways annually by 2030, according to new analysis by non-profit Oceana.

A Whale of a Problem:

The distressing figure that predicts plastic pollution from Coca-Cola products tantamount to the viable amount that could fill the stomachs of 18 million whales is an alarm bell towards the human health risks associated with the widespread infiltration of microplastics, which scientists increasingly link to serious health problems such as cancer, infertility, and heart disease.

The predecessor economy giants:

According to a 2024 study published in Science Advances, Coca-Cola leads the world’s top branded plastic polluters, followed by PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone, and Altria.

The Plastic Predicament:

Oceana's estimate is based on Coca-Cola's publicly reported packaging data from 2018 to 2023, combined with sales growth forecasts to create an as-usual scenario. Consequently, Coca-Cola’s plastic use could cross 4.13 million tons annually by 2030.

A Swell Solution:

To curb this mounting figure, Oceana suggests that bringing back reusable packaging is an effective solution. This could be via returnable glass bottles, which can be reused 50 times, or thicker PET plastic containers, designed for 25 uses. Interestingly, back in 2022, Coca-Cola itself acknowledged that reusable packaging was among the most effective ways to reduce waste. Still, this pledge was silently dropped in its latest sustainability report, released in December 2024.

Brewing Hope:

Nonetheless, there's a glimmer of hope. Coca-Cola operates large-scale refillable systems in several countries, including southern Texas in the United States, Brazil, Germany, Nigeria. With its large reusable infrastructure, Coca-Cola has the potential to lead the way to this positive change for the rest of the industry.

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