One of Coca-Cola's most visible packaging promises appears to have quietly disappeared. The company's goal to sell 25% of its drinks in refillable containers by 2030 no longer appears on its website — a notable shift for a company that has topped plastic-pollution rankings for six straight years.
Here's what to know
On Oct. 12, Zephyr Zoidis (@zephzoid) said in an Instagram post that reusable bottles no longer appear in Coca-Cola's public goals, even though the company had set a February 2022 objective for refillables to account for 25% of beverage sales by 2030.
The post cited Break Free From Plastic and Greenpeace, two groups that have closely tracked the company's plastic footprint and public commitments on packaging.
It also said Coca-Cola has held the top plastic-polluter ranking for six straight years and produces upward of 130 billion bottles annually, citing Break Free From Plastic and Greenpeace.
One commenter wrote, "If you still drink Coca-Cola shame on you."
The post said Coca-Cola removed that 2022 pledge from its website sometime after November 2024. That made it harder to track a public benchmark for reusable bottles on the company's own website.
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What can be done?
Zoidis offered a simple solution, writing, "Skip the greenwashing, shop small independent brands on Localize." The proposed fix is to steer purchases toward smaller alternatives rather than wait for better messaging and actual progress from big soda companies.
For readers who want help recognizing this kind of shifting corporate language, check out the TCD Guide's page on greenwashing. It's especially relevant when a splashy environmental promise later disappears or is replaced with less specific goals.
Avoiding the brand is one of the few direct responses available when a company appears to retreat from a reuse goal. As one commenter put it: "Say no to big soda, Boycott. I never buy from them."
Where can I learn more?
Here are a few more stories that help explain the scrutiny around Coca-Cola's packaging promises and plastic footprint.
• Coca-Cola drew fresh criticism after flaking on a crucial promise to expand refillable bottles.
• In Samoa, Coca-Cola was slammed over packaging updates amid a monumental waste crisis.
• Growing consumer anger pushed Coca-Cola into massive backlash over allegations tied to plastic pollution.
• In Asia, the Coca-Cola Foundation backed long-term improvements in local communities through waste management efforts.
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