Coca-Cola has a long history of setting the standard for refillable glass bottles. But today, it is the biggest plastic polluter in the world.
We're urging Coke to prioritize reuse and refill, instead of single-use plastic, by:
- Bringing back the refillable glass bottle
- Pledging support for high-performing deposit return systems (bottle bills) that include refill quotas
The Coca-Cola Company is the largest consumer-facing global seller of plastics, producing 134 billion – almost one quarter (23%) – of the world’s PET plastic bottles. Its “Every Bottle Back” pledge stands in stark contrast to the company’s #1 ranking for five years running in #BreakFreeFromPlastic’s brand audits of plastic pollution.
But, Coca-Cola itself was an early leader in refillables. During the company’s early years, it pioneered a waste-free system for fountain drinks and created a successful deposit return system that ensured an impressive 96% of its glass bottles were reused.
But from the 1950s to 1970s, the company gutted its own refillable infrastructure in the US, opting for single-use bottles and cans that externalized the cost of its new packaging waste onto the public and ratepayers. Our short documentary reveals that Coke knew that their plastic would trash the planet...and did it anyway. Then the company set about battling federal and state legislative efforts, like bottle bills and bans on single-use, that would have held the beverage industry accountable.
Reusable, refillable beverage systems aren’t a novel idea. These systems are successful in 170 countries worldwide, from Mexico to Germany to the Philippines and more, and represent an overall market share of 23% by volume globally. And while everything was once sold in a refillable bottle, they are now virtually nonexistent in the US, despite the benefits.
In 2022, Coca-Cola announced its intent to sell 25% of its beverages globally in refillable containers. But there’s a glaring hole in its flagship market, the United States, where the company has virtually no refillables in circulation. The only refill it hosts in the US is a popular and successful pilot project in El Paso, Texas, which serves as a testament to what the company can do, despite it saying and acting otherwise. [UPDATE] In December 2024, Coca-Cola quietly dropped its 25% reusable packaging target, backtracking on plastic reduction pledges and scrapping reuse from its environmental goals entirely.
Join us in calling on Coca-Cola to lead the beverage industry once again by bringing back reuse and refill.
Watch our latest video:
We're uncovering Coca-Cola’s thriving refillable glass bottle program that’s reducing waste, saving money, and delighting customers – all while the company says it can’t be done.
Petition:
Dear management at Coca-Cola Headquarters,
In 2022 Coca-Cola announced a pledge to sell 25% of its product in refillable packaging globally. But aside from a small refillables pilot in El Paso, Texas, you have not signaled any intention to bring back the refillable bottle in the US – your flagship market – despite the potential of refillables to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, plastic pollution and harm to fenceline communities. Nowhere is the shift away from single-use packaging more important than in the US, which produces more wasted plastic bottles per capita than any other country in the world.
Despite your “Every Bottle Back” campaign slogan, your results on the ground paint a very different picture. For five years running, Coca-Cola has held the dubious distinction of being the world’s #1 plastic polluter in #BreakFreeFromPlastic’s annual global Brand Audit. Your plastic packaging pollutes the environment on every continent.
Yet a century ago, your company pioneered the use of the refillable bottle, collecting 96% of your bottles back for refill by using a deposit-return system.
The twin crises of climate change and plastic pollution along with the devastating consequences of plastic on fenceline communities such as those living in what’s now dubbed “Cancer Alley” demand solutions commensurate with the problem.
For that reason, we are calling on the Coca-Cola Company to embrace its capacity for industry leadership on this issue by:
1) Bringing back Coca-Cola’s refillable glass bottle and extending your 25% refill commitment to the US market.
2) Pledging support for high-performing deposit return systems that include refill mandates.
In taking these steps, you can become a leading company on reuse and make a significant contribution to scaling true solutions on behalf of the entire beverage sector.
Sincerely,
[your name]
