Plastic Waste Piles Up for These Companies

Coca-Cola produced 3,000,000 metric tons of plastic waste in 2017, about the same size as 28,000 Blue Whales. It was the first time the company released their estimate for how much plastic waste they produce. They did so in association with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which released a report detailing the amount of plastic major companies produce and their corporate social responsibility programs in place to address this waste. Overall, 150 companies have made a commitment to reducing their plastic usage through this campaign.

Nestle, another packaged food company, produced around 1.7 million metric tons of plastic in 2018 alone. Last month, the company eliminated plastic straws from its products and will only use paper straws going forward. This move comes amid growing international outcries over single-use plastics.