The Coca-Cola Co. has committed to disclosing its ongoing investments in reusable bottles and to report the results of those investment efforts after Green Century Capital Management, an environmentally responsible mutual fund advisor, pressed the company on the issue, the fund company said.
Coca-Cola, the largest soft-drink maker in the world, sells beverages in more than 100 billion plastic bottles a year and is the world’s largest plastic polluter, according to the Break Free from Plastic organization.
However, in late 2024 the company dropped its goals to deliver 25% of beverages in reusable containers by 2030 and to cut 3 million metric tons of new plastic by 2025. That prompted Green Century and shareholder advocacy group As You Sow to renew pressure on the company to adopt a shareholder proposal drafted in 2022 by the two groups.
“Though Coca-Cola regrettably abandoned its plastic reduction and reuse goals, this new commitment to disclosing reusable packaging investments and results will help investors track the company’s efforts to mitigate plastic-related risks,” said Leslie Samuelrich,president of Green Century Funds. “With plastic pollution doubling every six years and less than 10% of it getting recycled, it’s clear that reuse and reduction are key.”
According to experts, one of the most effective ways to reduce both plastic use and plastic pollution is by replacing single-use plastic containers with reusable ones. Reusable packaging is good for business, too: Studies show that consumers want companies to give them more reusable packaging options, Green Century said in a press release.
When Coca-Cola dropped its reuse goal in late 2024, the beverage giant stated that it plans to expand its use of reusable packaging in markets where existing infrastructure can support this important part of its portfolio. Coca-Cola reported that 14% of its beverages were sold in reusable containers in both 2022 and 2023, but that the share of Coca-Cola beverages sold in reusable glass bottles increased in 2024.
“We will be monitoring Coca-Cola’s disclosure on how it is investing in reusables and how this translates into more beverages sold in reusable packaging,” said Frances Fairhead-Stanova, shareholder advocate with Green Century. “At the end of the day, investors need these disclosures to ensure Coca-Cola is mitigating the regulatory, reputational and systemic risks posed by its role in the plastic pollution crisis.”
According to Green Century;
- Plastic production is on pace to double by 2050 without meaningful action to reduce it – and companies like Coca-Cola can make an outsized impact.
- Already, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic end up in our oceans, rivers and lakes every day.
- Studies show that microplastics are polluting the human body, too, and have been linked to serious health impacts.
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