By 2030, 220B Coke Bottles Will Pollute Ocean Annually

Coca-Cola, already the world's top branded plastic polluter, is expected to produce more than 4 million tons of plastic annually by 2030, with much of that destined for the ocean. Coke products will account for 1.33 billion pounds, or 602,000 metric tons, of plastic waste entering oceans and waterways annually, according to a new analysis from nonprofit Oceana. That's the equivalent of almost 220 billion half-liter bottles, enough to fill the bellies of 18 million whales, per AFP. It would mark a nearly 40% increase from the company's reported plastic use in 2018 and a 20% increase from reported use in 2023, "which was already enough plastic to circle the Earth more than 100 times," according to Oceana.

Researchers estimated Coca-Cola's plastic production using publicly reported packaging data from 2018 to 2023 as well as sales growth forecasts. They then used a peer-reviewed method to estimate how much of the plastic would end up in aquatic ecosystems. Oceana says reusable packaging—either thicker PET plastic containers designed for 25 uses or glass bottles that can be reused 50 times—are the most obvious solution to the plastic problem. In 2022, Coca-Cola said it would offer a quarter of its drinks in refillable or returnable containers by 2030. But it recently abandoned that goal after failing to reduce the use of virgin plastic between 2020 and 2023.

The company is now focused on boosting recycled content in its packaging and collection rates. But "if you're going to use recycled plastic to produce more single-use plastic, that's a problem," Oceana senior vice president Matt Littlejohn tells AFP. Only about 10% of all plastic produced is recycled. Still, Coca-Cola's CEO, James Quincey, recently suggested the company may boost production of plastic bottles as President Trump's 25% tariff on aluminum imports complicates its metal can production, according to Packaging Europe. In a statement to AFP, the company says it's "committed to expand our refillable packaging options." As Littlejohn tells PE, "Recycling can't solve the company's out-of-control plastic problem. Reuse can." (More ocean plastic stories.)