Many companies engage in greenwashing or proclaim sustainability goals, only to backtrack or stop working on them entirely.
Now, Coca-Cola has been accused of engaging in a “masterclass in greenwashing” by quietly deleting an initiative it announced only a couple of years ago.
What happened?
As recounted by Tiny Eco founder Ben Hardman for Resource.co, Coca-Cola pledged that 25% of its soda bottles would be returnable or refillable by 2030. It also declared a recycled material target of 50%.
However, while there was much fanfare surrounding the initial declaration, the company quietly removed its pledge for 25% of bottles to be returnable or refillable and reduced its recycled material target from 50% to between 35% and 40%.
Coca-Cola did not announce this move but deleted the relevant webpage from its website, hoping no one would notice.
While greenwashing is a problem with many companies, it’s particularly concerning when Coca-Cola does it, as it has been deemed the “World’s Worst Plastic Polluter” six years in a row by Break Free From Plastic.
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Why is Coca-Cola’s greenwashing concerning?
This move would be concerning coming from any company, but considering that Coca-Cola was responsible for using approximately 7.6 billion pounds of plastic in 2023, the sudden deviation from sustainability is terrible news for the planet and people everywhere.
According to Oceana, if Coca-Cola had remained committed to 25% of its bottles being returnable or refillable, the company would have avoided creating over 100 billion single-use plastic products.
With that kind of impact, plastic pollution would decrease, saving countless animals, keeping waterways free of plastic, and reducing the amount of microplastics found in soil, water, and humans, thereby reducing the risk of health issues for people everywhere.
What’s being done about plastic pollution?
Though Coca-Cola has quietly stepped back from some of its sustainability goals, it still aims to collect 70% to 75% of bottles and cans by 2035. While helping increase recycling is a step in the right direction, it isn’t nearly as good as creating less plastic in the first place.
The company is also facing at least one court case over its greenwashing, brought by Earth Island Institute, which may end up holding Coca-Cola accountable. The courts initially dismissed the complaint but reversed that decision in August 2024.
Outside Coca-Cola, negotiations with United Nations member states on a global plastic treaty will continue this year. If finalized, the treaty would be a legally binding resolution to end plastic pollution.
Individuals can do their part to reduce plastic waste by using fewer single-use plastics and recycling them when possible. They can also hold companies such as Coca-Cola accountable for their plastic usage and greenwashing initiatives by harnessing their purchasing power.
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The post Coca-Cola slammed for quietly quitting on major initiative and hoping no one would notice: ‘Masterclass’ appeared first on The Cool Down.
