Journal No.6 – Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental, Social, Governance and Greenwashing.

The Coca-Cola Company 

Coca-Cola, one of the world’s largest beverage companies, has long marketed itself as an environmentally responsible corporation. The company consistently champions sustainability initiatives, such as reducing plastic waste, conserving water, and cutting down carbon emissions (The Coca-Cola Company, 2025). However, critics argue that many of these claim’s amount to greenwashing – Coca-Cola has been criticized for creating an illusion of environmental responsibility while continuing harmful practices. In 2022, Coca-Cola was responsible for 7.32% of the plastic waste collected globally (The Coca-Cola Company, 2025). 

 

One of the biggest examples of Coca-Cola’s greenwashing is its approach to plastic waste. The company has pledged to make 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025 and to use 50% recycled material in plastic bottles by 2030 (The Coca-Cola Company, 2025). Though these commitments may seem impressive, they don’t tackle the root of the problem: Coca-Cola churns out over 100 billion plastic bottles each year, with a substantial amount ending up in landfills, oceans, and ecosystems. Coca-Cola was found to be the biggest plastic polluter in the world from 2018-2022 (Down to Earth, 2022). 

Coca-Cola’s emphasis on recycling shifts the responsibility onto consumers rather than reducing plastic production at its source. Rather than effectively reducing plastic use by eliminating single-use packaging and adopting reuse and refill systems, they focus excessively on recycling, an insufficient solution given the vast amounts of plastic these companies introduce into the market annually (Down to Earth, 2022). 

Coca-Cola shifted its packaging from glass bottles to plastic since 1978 and was driven due to several economic, logistical, and consumer-related factors but bottom line, it is re-sealable, lightweight, and recyclable (The Coca-Cola Company, 2024). While plastic bottles provided economic benefits to Coca-Cola, they created a major environmental crisis. Unlike glass, which is infinitely recyclable without losing quality, plastic degrades with each recycling cycle and contributes to pollution, particularly in Great Pacific Garbage Patch (National Geographic Society, 2025). 

To genuinely cut down its environmental impact, Coca-Cola needs to do more than just make surface-level sustainability claims. They should consider reintroducing reusable glass packaging or investing in biodegradable options instead of primarily relying on plastic recycling. As a major player in plastic waste production, Coca-Cola has both moral and corporate obligation to address and enhance sustainability within its supply chain. 

While the use of plastic bottles is cost-efficient for Coca-Cola, the continuous reliance on these bottles significantly contributes to plastic pollution. Although Coca-Cola may argue that the responsibility for proper disposal lies with consumers, the company must acknowledge its role in perpetuating plastic waste for economic and profit-driven reasons.[1]

 

 

 

References

 

Down to Earth. (2022, November ). Talking trash: COP27 major sponsor Coca-Cola top plastic polluter for 5 years straight, shows report. (D. t. Earth, Ed.) Down to Earth. doi:https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A726694379/ITOF?u=murdoch&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=70ccacc0

National Geographic Society. (2025). Nationral Geographic. (E. E. Jeannie Evers, Editor, N. G. Society, Producer, & National Geographic Society) doi:https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-pacific-garbage-patch/

The Coca-Cola Company. (2024). Coca-Cola. doi:https://www.coca-cola.com/ie/en/media-center/contour-bottle-history#:~:text=1978%20%E2%80%93%20Recyclable%20bottles,%2Dsealable%2C%20lightweight%20and%20recyclable.

The Coca-Cola Company. (2025). doi:https://www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainability

 

 

 

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[1] ChatGPT used for better English Structure