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As the world’s largest beverage company, Coca-Cola faces intense scrutiny over its plastic footprint. In response, the company launched its “World Without Waste” initiative in 2018, aiming to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells by 2030.
Achievements to date:
- Increased use of recycled PET (rPET) to 13% of total packaging in 2022.
- Partnerships with governments and NGOs to improve recycling infrastructure in over 50 countries.
- Piloted 100% rPET bottles in markets like Sweden, Mexico, and Japan.
Challenges:
- Coca-Cola was named the world’s #1 plastic polluter five years in a row (Break Free From Plastic reports).
- Global recycling systems, especially in emerging markets, remain fragmented and underfunded.
Strategic insight:
Coca-Cola’s focus on post-consumer recovery is necessary but insufficient without broader investments in reuse models and packaging reduction, where competitors like PepsiCo are also expanding aggressively.
Sources:
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/shared-future/world-without-waste
https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/brand-audit-2023/
https://www.coca-colacompany.com/news/our-sustainable-packaging-goals
