A report has detailed that Coca-Cola used nearly 8 billion pounds of plastic in 2024, a marked increase from the 1.4 billion pounds it used in 2019.
What's happening?
According to Oceana, citing figures from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's 2025 progress report, the company's plastic use increased by nearly 5% in just one year, right after it scaled back its plastic packaging goals.
"At a time when plastic pollution is devastating our oceans and threatening human health, Coca-Cola's plastic use has grown by over a billion pounds in just five years," said Dr. Dana Miller, Oceana's Director of Strategic Initiatives.
"This is shameful. We need bold and urgent action to address this crisis, including ramping up reusable packaging at-scale."
The Foundation's report announced new global plastic targets for 2030, to which several major brands, including PepsiCo, committed. However, Coca-Cola hasn't pledged any commitments.
Why is Coca-Cola's plastic use concerning?
The report stated that if the company doesn't cut back its plastic production, over one billion pounds of the packaging it uses annually will end up in the world's oceans, which are already overloaded with plastic.
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Recycle Track Systems reported that up to 200 million tons of plastic are already floating in the oceans, with 33 billion pounds entering them each year.
Not only does this pose a risk to marine life, which may choke or become entangled in plastic, but it also leaches chemicals into the water and disrupts ecosystems.
Coca-Cola has been dubbed the world's top plastic polluter, despite all of its environmental campaigns claiming the opposite.
It also came under fire after one of its sugar suppliers was accused of inhumane treatment and violations of labor laws, prompting a class-action lawsuit.
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Definitely 👍 What is the company doing about it?
Oceana's analysis from 2023 found that if Coca-Cola increased its reusable beverage packaging by 10% by 2030, it could prevent more than one trillion single-use plastic caps and bottles.
The company has made positive changes in cutting plastic, including eliminating six-pack plastic rings and replacing them with paper packaging at its Philadelphia bottling facility.
It also partnered with a packaging machinery company to create a recyclable cardboard handle to replace plastic wrap on its 1.5-liter soda multipacks.
Individually, we can help ensure a plastic-free future by replacing plastic water bottles with reusable ones or switching to canvas grocery bags—which can also save money, since many grocers now charge for plastic bags. Cutting back in even one area can make a big difference.
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