Corporate Recycling Efforts Lag as UN Seeks Treaty on Plastic

With diplomats gathered in Geneva this week to try to hammer out a treaty to reduce plastic pollution, major buyers of plastic packaging are behind on their targets to use more recycled content — and some are scaling those goals back.

Consumer brands Coca-Cola and Pepsi have both trimmed targets, BloombergNEF noted in a report released July 31. Both had pledged to use 50% recycled material in their packaging by 2030. Now Coca-Cola is aiming for at least 35% by 2035, while Pepsi intends to meet a minimum of 40% by the same year.

Other well-known food, personal care and cosmetics brands are ...