Coca-Cola ranked worst plastic polluter for 5th straight year, McDonald's and Red Bull also named

Surfers Against Sewage has released its report on the worst UK plastic polluters of 2025, as determined by analyzing trash collected during thousands of community cleanup events. Once again, Coca-Cola won the dubious title.

As Circular Online reported, SAS analyzed pollution collected by over 100,000 volunteers during more than 2,500 community-led cleanups, and it found that just 12 companies were responsible for 17,331 individual pieces of trash, accounting for 52% of the plastic packaging found. 

Surfers Against Sewage called this its "largest ever citizen science dataset."

The 12 companies that made the list were Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Cadbury, Red Bull, Walkers, Monster, Lucozade, Pepsi, Stella Artois, Haribo, Tesco, and Mars.

Plastic was by far the most common material picked up as litter, accounting for 85% of the pollution. 60% of the plastic was single-use.

Coca-Cola was the biggest offender, taking the crown for the fifth year running. While the company has made efforts to reduce its polluting impact, it's clear that more needs to be done. 

"The report shows the damning but predictable outcome of a system that allows the biggest brands to profit from packaging, primarily single-use plastic, while dodging any responsibility for the damage it causes," said Rachel Yates, Plastic Pollution Campaigns Manager at Surfers Against Sewage, per Circular Online.

"Slapping a 'recycle me' label on a plastic wrapper and calling it a day is not a sustainability strategy. It's a PR strategy."

Yates said that the plastic crisis is not "inevitable," describing it instead as a "political choice." She called on government leaders to take a stand against companies that pollute with impunity.

There are many alternatives to single-use plastic. Aside from traditional disposable options like paper and cardboard, there are also reusable dishes and containers that can be returned to businesses for use by the next customer.

In recent years, scientists have also developed a wide variety of low-cost, biodegradable, or compostable plastic alternatives. There is no reason to rely so heavily on the material, which persists in the environment for a hundred years or more and pollutes our food and water with microplastics.

Which of these savings plans for rooftop solar panels would be most appealing for you? Save $1,000 this year 💸 Save less this year but $20k in 10 years 💰 Save less in 10 years but $80k in 20 years 🤑 Couldn't pay me to go solar 😒 Click your choice to see results and earn rewards to spend on home upgrades.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.