Washington, D.C. (February 10, 2025)—In response to Coca-Cola’s statement that it will shift to using more plastic bottles instead of aluminum if the latest wave of tariffs from President Donald Trump take effect, Lisa Ramsden, Greenpeace USA’s senior plastics campaigner said: “Coca-Cola’s decision to double down on plastics in response to Trump’s tariffs is a reckless step backward in the fight against plastic pollution. Instead of investing in real solutions like refill and reuse they are choosing to pump more toxic plastic into our communities and the environment. Coca-Cola is already the world’s biggest plastic polluter, and this would ensure they remain number one for years to come.
“What Quincey fails to mention is that PET plastic bottles contain harmful chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, obesity, early puberty in children, reproductive health problems and declining fertility. This move would lock consumers into a future of rising health risks and medical costs–at a time when Americans are already struggling with economic and health burdens. As long as corporations like Coca-Cola keep increasing our exposure to dangerous chemicals, making America healthy again will remain an unfulfilled promise.”
Coca-Cola has already been increasing the amount of plastic it uses every year and currently produces more than 130 billion plastic bottles every year. In December, Coca-Cola walked back its commitment to sell 25% of its products in reusable packaging by 2030.
Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA, [email protected]
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
