Five Leading Brands Produced Nearly a Quarter of World’s Total Plastic Waste

The study found that companies across the world produce approximately 450 million metric tons of plastic.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): A recent study published in journal Science Advances revealed that five companies were responsible for producing almost one-fourth of the world’s total plastic waste. The results are based on works carried out by over 10,000 volunteers in as many as 84 countries across six continents over a period of five years.

The study found that companies across the world produce approximately 450 million metric tons of plastic. Surprisingly, majority of these plastics end up in landfills, public places and waterways, polluting environment and causing serious health issues. Nearly 24% of the waste with an identifiable brand belonged to five global brands- Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, Danone and Altria.

USAID Collaborated to Launch Plastic Solutions Initiative

Over 1.8 million pieces of plastic were analysed, out of which almost 50% had a visible brand. Of the top companies, Coca-Cola accounted for 11% of the total branded waste, thus becoming the single largest source for plastic waste. The food and beverage industry created more plastic pollution than the household goods industry, the report said.

The one-to-one relationship between the amount of plastic produced and the amount of plastic litter analysed by the study indicates that the efforts by companies to cut plastic waste are not much effective.