Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, two major sellers of plastic bottles, have made sweeping sustainability commitments. Now they are stepping away from a plastics lobbying group.
Both soft drink companies are trying to increase the amount of recycled plastic they use in bottles. They want to improve recycling infrastructure and ensure their packages are recyclable.
But the Plastics Industry Association has encouraged states to make plastic bans illegal. Participation in the group could tarnish Coca-Cola and Pepsi's images as companies working to find solutions to plastic pollution.
The association took positions that "were not fully consistent with our commitments and goals," Coca-Cola said in a statement last week, noting that it withdrew from the group earlier this year. Pepsi said it had joined the association to learn about innovation as it works to "achieve a circular economy for plastics." Read more