Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Kraft Heinz reaffirmed their commitments to reducing plastic waste at their recent annual meetings, despite mounting regulatory and economic pressures such as new tariffs and stricter packaging rules. Coca-Cola has faced criticism for scaling back earlier sustainability pledges – lowering its target for reusable packaging by 2030 and delaying its recycled materials goal to 2035, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Activist investors have raised concerns over the rollback of sustainability targets, warning that weakened goals risk slowing progress in tackling plastic pollution, which, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, could triple by 2060. The pressure intensified after Coca-Cola scaled back its pledge to make 25% of its packaging reusable by 2030 and revised its recycled content target to 35%–40% by 2035.
The beverage industry is under growing external pressure, from aluminium tariffs that may increase Coca-Cola’s reliance on plastic, to rising regulatory demands in India and across several US states. While the United Nations continues negotiations on a global plastics treaty, the European Union is moving ahead more rapidly – requiring all packaging to be recyclable by 2030. In response to a challenge from the European Commission over its recycling claims, Coca-Cola recently agreed to update its labelling.
Since the 1950s, 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced, with the vast majority ending up in landfills, dumps, or the environment. Each year, up to 23 million tonnes enters waterways, while plastic production itself contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and releases harmful chemicals.
Some US companies are also facing legal and reputational challenges. In October, Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola and Pepsi, accusing them of misleading consumers about the recyclability of their bottles. Although Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz joined the US Plastics Pact in 2020, several of its key targets have since been delayed from 2025 to 2030.
Activists are calling for greater transparency, arguing that snack and beverage companies – major contributors to single-use packaging – must do more to disclose the full extent of their environmental impact.
Companies continue to take steps towards more sustainable packaging. Pepsi reported incorporating recycled plastic into at least one product across 60 countries and has launched paper packaging trials in the United Kingdom. Kraft Heinz, meanwhile, noted its move to 100% recycled containers for Miracle Whip in the United States.
Still, experts point out that plastic remains hard to substitute, as its low cost, light weight, and practicality continue to offer unmatched advantages for both companies and consumers.