That is enough plastic to fill the stomachs of 18m whales. The report arrives amid mounting concerns over the human health risks posed by the spread of microplastics, which scientists increasingly link to cancer, infertility and heart disease. “Coca-Cola is by far the largest manufacturer and seller of beverages in the world,” said Matt Littlejohn, who leads Oceana’s campaigns targeting corporate polluters. “Because of that, they really matter when it comes to the impact of all this on the ocean.” Coca-Cola ranks as the world’s top branded plastic polluter, followed by PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone and Altria, according to a 2024 study published in Science Advances. “Because of that, they really matter when it comes to the impact of all this on the ocean.” Coca-Cola ranks as the world’s top branded plastic polluter, followed by PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone and Altria, according to a 2024 study published in Science Advances. Oceana’s estimate is based on Coca-Cola’s publicly reported packaging data from 2018 to 2023, combined with sales growth forecasts to create a “business-as-usual” scenario. 

The result: the company’s plastic use is projected to exceed 4.13m tons annually by 2030. To estimate how much of that plastic will reach aquatic ecosystems, researchers applied a peer-reviewed method developed by an international team of scientists and published in the academic journal Science in 2020 to arrive at the 602m kg estimate, which is equivalent to nearly 220bn half-litre bottles. For Oceana, the clearest solution to reduce this staggering figure lies in bringing back reusable packaging – whether in the form of returnable glass bottles, which can be reused 50 times, or thicker PET plastic containers, which are designed for 25 uses......read on    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/27/coca-cola-plastic-waste-in-oceans-expected-to-reach-602m-kilograms-a-year-by-2030