As environmental issues continue to be a growing concern, companies have been forced to evaluate their corporate and business-level strategies in response to the challenges of recycling both locally and globally. One such company that has had to do this is Coca-Cola, the world's largest beverage company.
At the corporate level, Coca-Cola has set out to become a more sustainable company. The company has committed to a number of environmental goals, including reducing its carbon footprint and increasing the use of recycled materials in its packaging. In 2020, Coca-Cola announced that it had achieved its goal of using 50% recycled materials in its bottles, and it aims to increase that number to 100% by 2030. Additionally, the company has made a commitment to replenish all the water it uses in its beverages by 2030, and it has made significant progress towards that goal.
However, the effectiveness of these corporate-level strategies can be questioned. While the goal of using 100% recycled materials in its bottles is ambitious, it is still 9 years away, and the company has been criticized for not moving fast enough. Additionally, Coca-Cola has been accused of greenwashing, or making misleading claims about its environmental efforts, by some environmental groups.
At the business-level, Coca-Cola has implemented a number of strategies to increase recycling, both locally and globally. One of these strategies is the "World Without Waste" initiative, which aims to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells by 2030. This initiative involves partnerships with local governments and NGOs to increase recycling rates, as well as investments in recycling infrastructure and technology.
While this initiative is commendable, its effectiveness is questionable. According to a report by Greenpeace, Coca-Cola was the world's largest plastic polluter in 2019, producing more plastic waste than the next three companies combined. This suggests that while the company is making efforts to increase recycling, it is not doing enough to reduce the amount of plastic it produces in the first place.
In conclusion, while Coca-Cola's corporate and business-level strategies are making some progress towards recycling challenges, they still have a long way to go. While the company has made some significant commitments, there are still concerns about the speed and effectiveness of its efforts. To make a real impact, Coca-Cola must do more to reduce the amount of plastic it produces and increase its efforts to recycle.