Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the Swiss food giant Nestlé are the world's biggest producers of plastic waste, according to an indicative study carried out by Greenpeace.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Greenpeace/Keystone SDA/Reuters/sb
Português
pt
Nestlé é uma das maiores poluidoras de plástico do planeta
To better understand which companies are contributing to the plastic pollution problem, the environmental group carried out 239 plastic waste clean-up operations over nine months in 42 countries, in collaboration with the Break Free From Plastic movement. With the help of 10,000 volunteers they collected 187,000 pieces of plastic trash.
After analysing the waste and carrying out an auditExternal link, the organisations produced a top ten ranking of multinational firms that they say contribute to plastic pollution across the globe.
The worst offender was Coca-Cola, the world’s largest soft drink maker, Greenpeace said, with Coke-branded plastic waste found in 40 of the 42 countries.
The most common type of plastic found was polystyrene, which is used for packaging and foam coffee cups, followed by PET, used in bottles and containers.
PepsiCo was ranked second, followed by Vevey-based Nestle. The top three companies alone accounted for 14% of the branded plastic pollution found worldwide.
Then came Danone, Mondelez International, Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Perfetti van Melle, Mars Incorporated and Colgate-Palmolive.
More recyclable packaging
In a statement, Coca-Cola said: “We share Greenpeace’s goal of eliminating waste from the ocean and are prepared to do our part to help address this important challenge.”
The multinational has pledged to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030.
By 2025, Coca-Cola says all its packaging will be recyclable. Nestle says its packaging will be recyclable or reusable by that date, while PepsiCo is aiming for recyclable, compostable or biodegradable packaging. They are all working to use recycled content in their packaging as well.
Nestlé says it is working hard to eliminate non-recyclable plastics. It said it was also exploring different packaging solutions and ways to facilitate recycling and eliminate plastic waste.
The report’s authors said their study is not definitive but aims “to give an indication of the most common brands found in cleanups around the world”.
“It is not meant to be a definitive quantification of all the plastic pollution that can be attributed to specific companies, nor is the report a representative sample of all of the waste produced by plastics manufacturers or corporate brands around the world,” it said.
More
More
Plastic: How can the Swiss use so much and recycle so little?
This content was published on
Switzerland consumes three times as much plastic as EU countries, but recycles 30% less. Bans on plastic in the EU and China may change that.
Switzerland ‘more than ready’ to host Ukraine summit
This content was published on
Switzerland is more than ready to host a summit between Russia and Ukraine, says Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, highlighting Switzerland's expertise in this area.
This content was published on
Every second aircraft at Zurich Airport took off late this summer. However, the situation has already improved significantly compared to last year.
Swiss union federation demands average wage increase of 2%
This content was published on
The employees' umbrella organisation Travailsuisse is demanding an average wage increase of two percent for all employees in the coming year. This would cover the rising cost of living and make up for wage shortfalls in recent years.
‘Dr Pump’ sentenced for administering unauthorised substances
This content was published on
A Bern Regional Court has found the Solothurn doctor known as "Dr Pump" guilty of offences against the Sports Promotion Law. The man had administered unauthorised substances to patients.
This content was published on
Volunteering can have a positive effect on mental health. According to a survey conducted in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, people who volunteer for others also strengthen themselves.
This content was published on
Twint is being used more and more frequently to make purchases at the till or transfer money to friends using a smartphone. By the middle of the year, the payment app already had more than six million users in Switzerland.
This content was published on
The meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin should take place in Europe, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. He is calling for it to be held in Geneva.
This content was published on
Zug-based mining and commodities trading giant Glencore plans to inject more than a dozen billion dollars into the expansion of two Argentine copper production sites.
Polish climber dies near Zermatt after falling into crevasse
This content was published on
A Polish mountaineer died on Sunday after falling into a crevasse on the Monte Rosa glacier in the Swiss resort of Zermatt.
This content was published on
Production in Switzerland's secondary sector fell in the second quarter of 2025. The decline was more pronounced in the construction sector than for industry.
Plastic and cigarettes make up bulk of Swiss beach litter
This content was published on
According to a litter study, plastic is the most common waste material found in Swiss rivers and lakes, with non-biodegradable cigarette butts second.
Microplastics contamination found in Swiss nature reserve soils
This content was published on
In one of the first studies of its kind, Bern researchers have discovered an estimated 53 tonnes of microplastics in Swiss nature reserve soils.
Rhine has one of highest concentrations of microplastics
This content was published on
The River Rhine flowing between the cities of Basel and Rotterdam has one of the highest concentrations of microplastics in the world, according to a study by researchers from the University of Basel.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.