WASHINGTON, DC (May 22, 2025) – In response to PepsiCo’s announcement that it will abandon its goal to deliver 20% of its beverages in reusable containers by 2030, Greenpeace USA Senior Oceans Campaigner Lisa Ramsden, said: “PepsiCo is the latest corporate polluter to abandon its reuse targets, a move that will undoubtedly force more plastic pollution into our environment and burden our bodies with more toxic microplastics. We clearly can’t trust corporations like PepsiCo to do what’s best for people and the planet, and this exemplifies why voluntary commitments by corporations have never been enough. We need a strong and binding Global Plastics Treaty that caps plastic production and ends single-use plastics.”

PepsiCo’s decision follows its rival Coca-Cola’s similar abandonment of its reuse goal in  December 2024 and Coke’s recent announcement of plans to ramp up plastic production in response to the Trump Administration’s tariffs on aluminum. Both companies are among the world’s top global plastic polluters. 

Plastics are not just a pollution problem; they are a public health crisis. Over 3,200 chemicals in plastics have been linked to a host of serious health conditions, including cancer, hormone disruption, reproductive problems, metabolic changes, obesity, premature births, neurological disorders, and learning disabilities. Toxic chemicals in plastic already cost Americans nearly $250 billion in healthcare expenses each year. 

PepsiCo’s announcement comes as the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report, released today, finds that Americans are exposed to these chemicals through many routes, including food and beverage packaging. Microplastics have been found in human breast milk, brain, lung, and heart tissue.

Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA , [email protected]   

Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.