Coca Cola, Pepsi, Nestle, McDonald's, KFC, Starbucks, Microsoft and other brands are all signif

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues facing the world.

The report "From Pollution to Solutions: Global Assessment of Marine Garbage and Plastic Pollution" released by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2021 shows that plastic is the largest, most harmful, and persistent component of marine litter, accounting for at least 85% of the total amount of marine waste. The report further points out that greenhouse gas emissions from plastics in 2015 were 1.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and are expected to increase to approximately 6.5 billion tons by 2050.

This poses a significant threat to our environment; It is crucial to rethink how we design, use, process, or reuse packaging. World renowned brands such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, Kraft Heinz, Nestle, McDonald's, KFC, Danone, Unilever, and Microsoft are intensifying their efforts to address this challenge and plan to significantly reduce the use of plastic packaging.

01 Unilever reduces plastic production by 350000 tons annually

Unilever has reduced its plastic usage by 350000 tons in 2025 by using alternative packaging materials and other methods. Currently, the total amount of plastic packaging used by Unilever is approximately 700000 metric tons per year.

The group stated in a statement that it will reduce the absolute usage of plastic packaging by more than 100000 metric tons through a circular plastic packaging distribution model; Reduce the use of new plastic by 350000 metric tons by 2025 through the use of alternative packaging materials and the reduction of plastic content in packaging; Investment in waste recycling and processing infrastructure; Purchase more recycled plastic materials to make packaging; Increase the proportion of recycled plastic materials in packaging to over 25%; Pay to recycle more discarded packaging.

Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever, stated that in the future, the group will take corresponding measures in all aspects of plastic recycling, such as introducing innovative and environmentally friendly raw materials for packaging and creating a new distribution model for circular packaging, to reduce the application of plastic packaging.

02 Nestle reduces plastic usage by one-third (approximately 600000 tons)

Nestle has a clear timetable for sustainable development goals, and the company proposes to achieve a 20% reduction in emissions by 2025; By 2030, achieve a 50% reduction in emissions; By 2050 at the latest, achieve net zero emissions. By 2025, more than 95% of packaging designs can be recycled and reused. The long-term goal is to achieve 100% recyclability or reusability of packaging materials, and to reduce the use of native plastics by one-third by 2025. "Carbon reduction and plastic reduction" itself can also bring commercial growth.

Nestle currently uses 1.8 million tons of plastic annually, a one-third reduction, which means a reduction of 600000 tons per year.

Currently, the company is making a new attempt to turn "low-carbon" into productivity. This is reflected not only in the reduction of production costs, but also in the fact that "carbon reduction" has become a new increment in marketing. Nestle Environmental Promise: By 2025, 100% of packaging materials will be recyclable or reusable, and the use of native plastics will be reduced by one-third.

03 Kraft Heinz reduces plastic by 100 million pounds per year (approximately 45000 tons)

One of the world's largest food and beverage companies, Kraft Heinz, has set a new Sustainable Development Goal for packaging. Compared to the 2021 benchmark, the company's new goal is to reduce the use of native plastics in packaging by 20% by 2030, equivalent to a reduction of approximately 100 million pounds of native plastics. Previously, Kraft Heinz had announced a goal of achieving 100% recyclability, reusability, or compostable packaging by 2025, and also planned to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and halve emissions by 2030.

Linda Roman, Deputy Director of Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) and Technology at Kraft Heinz Packaging, said, "Our goal is to fulfill our commitment to native plastics, so we are looking for new packaging solutions globally to have the greatest impact."

In order to increase the proportion of recyclable components in packaging, Kraft Heinz is leveraging its existing partnerships with Plastic Pacts in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

04 PepsiCo's native plastic has decreased by 50% (approximately 1.25 million tons)

PepsiCo's environmental commitment is to achieve 100% recyclability, compostability, or biodegradability of packaging in its global food and beverage product portfolio by 2030. Additionally, it plans to reduce the use of native plastics by 50%, with 20% being replaced by recycled and bio based materials.

Latest progress: According to its latest data in 2021, 87% of PepsiCo's product packaging is recyclable, biodegradable or biodegradable, but its use of native plastics has only decreased by 6%, far below the target.

05 Coca Cola's native plastic has decreased by 50% (approximately 1.65 million tons)

Coca Cola's environmental commitment: By 2025, Coca Cola will use 100% recyclable packaging materials globally, and by 2023, it will use 50% recycled materials.

Coca Cola's current progress: 90% of Coca Cola's packaging is recyclable, but the utilization rate of recycled plastics used to replace native plastics is only 11.5%.

06 Starbucks plastic is 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and recyclable

Starbucks promises to achieve 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and recyclable packaging by 2025, and has also set a goal to increase the use of environmentally friendly cups.

Latest progress: Unfortunately, due to the impact of the epidemic, the vast majority of consumers still choose to use disposable plastic paper cups. In addition, as of 2021, 23.2% of their plastic packaging has been recyclable and recyclable.

07 McDonald's 100% recyclable and renewable

McDonald's promises to use 100% recyclable, renewable or certified materials for primary packaging. Other statements include a significant reduction in the use of native plastics in Happy Children's Meal toys.

Latest progress: By the end of 2021, 82.7% of McDonald's packaging had achieved the use of renewable, recyclable or certified materials. In addition, since 2018, the use of native plastics in Happy Children's Meal toys has decreased by 24.4%.

08 KFC consumer plastic packaging will be recyclable or reused

KFC has announced a new global commitment to sustainable development. By 2025, all plastic based packaging aimed at consumers will be recyclable or reusable. As the most renowned global fast food chain under Yum! Brands, this commitment will be the most important part of KFC's long-term development strategy, which is to fully implement a more sustainable packaging strategy - by developing and using sustainable packaging solutions to address this task.

KFC stated that this goal is also based on the progress made by some brands in eliminating plastic packaging products.

09 Danone enables each package to be reused, recycled, or compostable

Danone stated in a report with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation that the company produces over 826000 tons of plastic annually. Danone plans to reduce plastic usage through carbon capture technology. Danone's brand pulsating innovative technology can directly convert captured carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into key raw materials for producing PET bottles through microorganisms. Compared with traditional processes, PET bottles produced using this process can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 1.3 kilograms per kilogram.

Danone's plastic reduction goal: The goal for 2025 is to make every packaging - from bottle caps to yogurt cups - reusable, recyclable, or compostable

10 Microsoft Plastics uses one-third (approximately 600000 tons)

Microsoft promises to eliminate disposable plastics from its main product packaging by 2025 and use post consumer recycled plastics in multiple products.

The ocean friendly mouse launched by Microsoft in 2021 contains 20% of the new resin material in its casing, which comes from recycled plastic bottles in the ocean. In terms of appearance design, the mouse does not use any paint to avoid any impact on recycling. In terms of packaging, this mouse adopts a "zero plastic" process, using 100% all paper recyclable packaging made from recycled wood and sugarcane to replace disposable plastics such as vacuum absorbing materials. In addition, pure paper materials are used to replace commonly used plastic sealing stickers in the easy to tear strip structure of the packaging.