Exclusive: Campaigners say company’s apparent abandoning of 2030 pledge is a ‘masterclass in greenwashing’

Coca-Cola has been accused of quietly abandoning a pledge to achieve a 25% reusable packaging target by 2030 in what campaigners call a “masterclass in greenwashing”.

The company has been previously found by researchers to be among the world’s most polluting brands when it comes to plastic waste.

In 2022, the company made a promise to have 25% of its drinks sold in refillable or returnable glass or plastic bottles, or in refillable containers that could be filled up at fountains or “Coca-Cola freestyle dispensers”.

But shortly before this year’s global plastics summit, the company deleted the page on its website outlining this promise, and it no longer has a target for reusable packaging.

  • paysrenttobirds@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    274·
    16 hours ago

    I’m just going to be unpopular for a minute here and say if you find yourself drinking out of single use disposable containers everyday, take some time to see if you can change that, even a little bit.

    The future “goals” listed here are so lame I don’t think you can pretend there’s a sustainable way for billions of people to have that habit.

    • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.worldEnglish
      153·
      16 hours ago

      Yeah, the people are to blame. Why won’t anyone ever think of the poor corporations trying their best?

        • Nurse_Robot@lemmy.worldEnglish
          11·
          3 hours ago

          Me personally? Damn, I didn’t realize I was the one keeping them in business, despite not purchasing their products.

          Corporations and the upper class want infighting. They want us to fight each other and blame each other for their evil tactics. Stop playing into their hands. Blame them, not the average consumer.

      • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
        132·
        16 hours ago

        Dunno why you’re getting downvoted, 'cause you’re right.

        Corporations sell products THEY’VE created in containers THEY’VE chosen using media THEY’VE hired to create profit for THEMSELVES.

        How in the fuck are regular people at fault here in any way, shape or form?

        • slaacaa@lemmy.worldEnglish
          5·
          11 hours ago

          Exactly. If they weren’t manufacturing and selling plastic trash, people wouldn’t buy it. I try to limit my plastic use, and recycle what I use, but that is not enough.

          Single use plastics should be banned fully, coke and other companies could sell their stuff in glass or harder, reusable plastic.

        • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          15 hours ago

          It would help if they’d stop blasting people with ads and marketing, the stuff designed to override people’s choices.

    • Noodle07@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      15 hours ago

      I’d buy a soda stream syrup instead of buying coca cola bottles but last time I checked it was slightly more expensive to do so

      • HellsBelle@sh.itjust.worksOPEnglish
        1·
        13 hours ago

        As I have diabetes I make my own soda. Just buy some good quality flavorings from a reputable shop and add them to club soda … or, if you like 7-up, just add a few drops of lemon and lime juice to club soda.

        For a sweetener I use stevia, but if you want sugar for your drink, boil some water and add a few tablespoons of sugar. Add some of that mix to the club soda mixture, to taste.

      • Zerlyna@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        14 hours ago

        I have one but it’s just not the same to me. And yes I needed to use so much syrup it’s not cost effective for me either.