Transparent 2023
Annual ReSource: Plastic Progress Report

December 2023

Executive Summary
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is working toward a vision of
No Plastic in Nature by 2030 and is leading the charge tohelp reimagine how we source, design, dispose of, andreuse the plastic materials communities mostdepend on.
As part of the effort to bring data and collaboration to
the forefront of corporate action, ReSource: Plastic
publicly reports on the progress of its Member companies year over year. The Transparent report series is
ReSource’s annual publication that details and tracks
progress on Member activities and harnesses this new
data to provide recommendations for action—both
internal to company supply chains and across wider
multi-stakeholder efforts.

INSIGHTSTransparent 2023 expands on established opportunities
for corporate action using ReSource’s approach to systems
change: eliminating unnecessary plastic, shifting tosustainable inputs for remaining plastic, doubling global
recycling and composting, and improving data harmonization. As with previous Transparent reports, progress isuneven—yet the focal recommendations identified inyears past remain largely relevant today. ReSource willcontinue to utilize the recommendations and conclusions
in this report to better understand what works in plastic
reporting and what does not, as well as the strategies
companies should be prioritizing to make an impact. The
first step in addressing plastic pollution is understanding
the scope, and ReSource Members have shown theplastics reporting is possible and critical to change.

TRANSPARENT 2023
Transparent 2023 is the fourth installment of ReSource:
Plastic’s reporting series. This report highlights progress
made relating to ReSource Members’ global plastic
footprints in 2022, including their use of plastic bypolymer type and form, their use of recycled content
and sustainably sourced biobased content, and the likely
waste management pathways for their plastic portfolios.
This year also marks the first time that ReSource has
specifically collected data on reuse activities
from Members.

ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY PLASTIC
The elimination of unnecessary, single-use plastic
is the most important action that companies cantake to directly address the plastic pollution crisis
through their own portfolios. ReSource Members
addressed this, in part, through two key strategies:• Reducing Problematic and Unnecessary Plastic –Problematic and unnecessary plastics have been astrategic target for ReSource Members to eliminate
from their portfolios. In 2018, these products made up
3.2% of Member portfolios, and by 2022 this percentage
had been cut by more than half (to 1.2%).

2

• Realizing the Potential of Reuse – WWF sees new

allows us to both recognize patterns in the data andbusiness models such as reuse as a key opportunity toisolate any irregularities, thus improving the analysis

reduce overall plastic usage and create circularquality year over year. It’s important to be able tosystems that deliver value to people and reduced

separate changes caused by reporting improvements

impacts to nature. All nine ReSource Members arefrom true increases in plastic use, and to update

currently exploring reuse models in some capacity.

baseline information accordingly.

Moving forward, WWF hopes to see a continued shift
from piloting reuse systems to deployment, and to see

Availability of consistent and reliable waste manage-

more quantitative information available at both thement data also remains a limitation to drawing insights

product category and portfolio levels.

from reporting results. Without updated and timely
waste management data, it is challenging to know

SHIFTING TO SUSTAINABLE INPUTS FORREMAINING PLASTIC
Increasing the use of recycled content is key towhether collective action efforts are having the desired
effect. Accurate, harmonized measurement will be
critical to understanding, and thus solving, the plastic
pollution crisis.

building circular systems for plastic and incentivizing
its collection and recycling. Among ReSource
Members, the use of recycled content has increased
from 10.2% of the aggregate portfolio in 2021 to 12.0%
in 2022. Collaborative efforts across key markets and on
specific materials are beginning to impact availability ofrecycled material, providing a proof point for this work’s

SCALING MEASUREMENT AND DISCLOSURE
An exciting development for harmonizedmeasurement this year is the expansion of CDP‘senvironmental disclosure platform to include
plastics, through the Scaling Plastics Disclosure

value in reaching recycled content goals. Biobased

initiative in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts,

content continues to make up less than one percent of

Minderoo Foundation, and the Ellen MacArthur Founda-

the aggregate portfolio, with its use in individualtion. WWF has recently joined the Steering Committee ofMembers’ portfolios ranging from 0.0% to 4.8%.

the initiative and will use the experience gained through
ReSource: Plastic to inform the continued development

DOUBLE GLOBAL RECYCLING AND COMPOSTINGOF PLASTIC

and expansion of CDP’s plastic questionnaire.

Eliminating hard-to-recycle polymers and compo-

process on plastic is something ReSource has beennents is important for aligning portfolios with theanticipated future conditions of waste management systems. Although the overall category of

Alignment around a standardized corporate reporting
working toward since its inception. As additional reporting efforts arise, it is critical that they build upon existing
work to create convergence and alignment rather thanproblematic plastic use decreased in the 2022 reporting

duplicate efforts and/or proliferate methods that are not

year, the volumes of some hard-to-recycle polymers likecompatible.

PVC and PS did increase between 2021 and 2022 insome Members’ portfolios. ReSource Members remain
engaged in many collective action efforts to scalecollection and recycling of plastic, varying with each
Member’s portfolio—matching the formats, geographies,
and polymers that are most relevant to them.

VOLUNTARY COLLECTIVE ACTION
ReSource continues to multiply impact by scaling
voluntary collective action through several
platforms. Notably, ReSource leverages the ReSource
Footprint Tracker within the U.S. Plastics Pact and the

IMPROVE DATA HARMONIZATION

Canada Plastics Pact to measure year-over-year prog-

After four years of data collection, ReSource: Plastic

harmonization of reporting metrics acrossis uniquely positioned to share key learnings onwhat does and does not work in plastic footprintress, broadening the Tracker’s uptake and increasing
North America.

reporting. Repetition over several years of reporting3

@ naturepl.com / Jordi Chias / WWF

WWF is committed to advancing the uptake of reuse

the way for companies to set the bar of action eventhrough key collaborations, such as the Reuse Portal,

higher and mobilizing additional actors through manda-

which was publicly launched in May 2023, and thetory measures. An “all-in” approach is needed if change

Consumers Beyond Waste Initiative. ReSource also

is to be enacted this century. All governments, busi-

continues to hold a thought leadership partnership withnesses, and individuals must play a critical role in solving

the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA), which enables

the problem, which is why WWF is calling on businesses

ReSource to benefit from the BFA’s existing work to bringto join the call for an ambitious treaty, leveraging theira science-based perspective to the sourcing of biobased

immense influence to demonstrate that the corporate

plastic and its role in circular systems.

world is committed to realizing a world without
plastic in nature.

POLICY AND REGULATION
Voluntary corporate action is important and can

ABOUT RESOURCE: PLASTIC

drive progress in some areas. However, regulation

ReSource: Plastic aims to engage 100+ companies

is necessary to address the scale and urgency ofthrough the ReSource Footprint Tracker by 2030 in thethe plastic pollution crisis. Advocacy for effective

effort to reach the goal of preventing at least 50 million

plastic policy is emerging as a key strategy to change

metric tons of plastic waste from entering nature. The

incentives and enable transformational change. As

ReSource Footprint Tracker serves as a tool for compa-

momentum builds both at the international and national

nies wishing to understand not only the amount and thelevels around policy and regulation, there is a clear needkinds of plastics they are releasing into the market, but

for companies to participate in and prepare for changed

also the waste and leakage being generated as a result.

requirements and incentives.

Through ReSource Members and the Transparent report,
the ReSource Footprint Tracker provides a common

In 2022, the United Nations voted in favor of a legally

framework for tracking plastic pollution and is laying thebinding resolution to address plastic pollution that isgroundwork for companies to start reporting on their

being drafted on an accelerated timeline and expected

plastic impact. The goal is to provide the necessary

to be enacted in 2025. This global treaty is an unprece-

starting point for developing solutions whose impact will

dented opportunity for systemic transformation, paving

reverberate across supply chains and industries.

4

Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

2

INTRODUCTION  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .

6

About ReSource: Plastic  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8Supporting Partners and Collaborations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9

MEASURE—RESULTS AND PROGRESS REPORT .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
Methodology  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102022 Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Individual Member Footprints and Progress  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

24

MAXIMIZE—RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 44
Eliminating Unnecessary Plastic ThroughBusiness Model Innovation, Reduction, and Substitution  . . . . . . .

45

Shifting to Sustainable Inputs for Remaining Plastic . . . . . . . . . . . .

46

Doubling Global Recycling and Composting of Plastic  . . . . . . . . . .

46

Data Improvement and Harmonization  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
MULTIPLY—COLLABORATING FOR CHANGE .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 50
Scaling Measurement and Disclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Policy and Regulation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Voluntary Collective Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
CONCLUSION .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 53
GLOSSARY .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 54
APPENDIX A .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 56
APPENDIX B .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 58
APPENDIX C .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 68
ENDNOTES  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 70

5

@ Shutterstock / Mohamed Abdulraheew / WWF

Introduction
Plastic is flowing into nature at an unprecedented rate every day, with a dump truck’s worth
entering our oceans every minute.1 In one year alone, this plastic waste adds up to 11 million
metric tons, devastating our natural habitats and impacting more than 2,000 species around theworld.2,3 As this crisis spreads to every corner of the globe, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is leading
the charge to reimagine how we source, design, dispose of, and reuse the plastic materials
communities most depend on—because while plastic can help make our hospitals safer, ourfood last longer, and our packages more efficient to ship, it has no place in nature.
WWF is fighting for a world with no plastic in nature by 2030 through tackling the root cause of
the crisis: a broken material system. WWF is approaching systems change through three criticalpathways: private sector action, good government policy, and public engagement. As part of thisstrategy, WWF is partnering with companies around the planet to engage private sector action asa key lever for transformation.
While business has played a significant role in the current plastic crisis, business also plays an
indispensable role in mitigating it (see Figure 1). Businesses serve as critical points of influenceand catalysts for action among other stakeholders, including governments and the public. They
6

FIGURE 1. ReSource: Plastic Theory of Change.

are also uniquely positioned to reduce waste within their

Transparent 2023 represents the first time that WWF has

own supply chains through improved sourcing, design,specifically collected data on reuse activities from ourand the implementation of new business models.

ReSource Members, all nine of which are exploring reuse

Especially as the scope and severity of the plastic crisis

in some capacity. While capturing an accurate picture ofcontinues to grow, innovative product delivery systems

reuse metrics is still a challenge, our initial data providethat minimize waste output while still meeting thethe much-needed foundational measurement ofdemand for convenient, accessible packaging will be

ongoing efforts leading companies are investing in reuse.

invaluable to moving the dial on plastic pollution.
When ReSource: Plastic was launched in 2019, WWF
One such solution is effectively scaling reuse systems,

reported that as few as 100 companies have thewhich have the potential to transform the way we value

potential to prevent roughly 50 million metric tons of thethe materials we take from the earth by keeping ourworld’s plastic waste by 2030.5 We still have the potential

products in circulation longer. Activating and expanding

to meet this goal, but businesses need to meet thereuse systems across the wide range of applications

challenge, committing to pursue plastic waste mitigation

where they can be beneficial could help companies not

activities that both strategically contribute to systems

only drastically cut down on the amount of total plasticchange and maximize their potential for impact. Only

waste generated but also support business growth: athen can we turn off the tap of plastic pollution flowing

recent study showed that replacing just 20% of sin-

into nature and realize a healthier future for both people

gle-use plastic packaging with reusable materials could

and the planet.

represent a $10 billion economic opportunity.4
7About ReSource: Plastic

Members

ReSource: Plastic is WWF’s activation hub for companies

ReSource was launched in May 2019 with five Principalthat are ready to translate plastic commitments toMembers that have demonstrated ambition and sector

meaningful action but need help building a roadmap toleadership on plastic waste: Keurig Dr Pepper, McDon-

get there. We close that “how” gap through the ReSource

ald’s Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, and The

Footprint Tracker, an innovative measurement frame-

Coca-Cola Company. Since then, we have welcomed

work that tracks corporate action against ReSource’s

three additional Members: Amcor, Colgate-Palmolive,

three-pronged approach to leverage business as aand Kimberly-Clark. CVS Health has also joined as

catalyst for systems change:

Principal Retail Member. As Members of ReSource, thecompanies are committed to tracking and annual• Eliminating unnecessary plastic through businessmodel innovation, reduction, and substitution• For plastic that is necessary, shifting from virgin
fossil-based plastic sourcing to sustainable inputs,
including recycled content, responsibly sourced
biobased content,6 and advanced materials7• Doubling global collection, recycling, and compostingof plastic so that the plastic going into the system iscirculated backBy building a large corporate membership and helping
these companies take on data-driven strategies,
ReSource aims to prevent 50 million metric tons of plastic
waste by 2030. To get there, ReSource is working with its
Member companies to do the following:
MEASURE IMPACT of ReSource Members’ plastic action
through the ReSource Footprint Tracker, an innovative
measurement framework that calculates aggregate andindividual Member global plastic footprints to trackprogress annually and inform strategy.
MAXIMIZE IMPACT by tracking implementation andprogress of activities through the ReSource Footprint
Tracker to identify what interventions to reduce waste
should be prioritized, scaled, or improved upon.
MULTIPLY IMPACT by catalyzing opportunities forcollaboration on large-scale interventions, which is
critical to bringing speed and scale to solutions andinvestments toward systems change.

8

reporting on their plastic footprint, taking recommended
actions to advance ReSource’s goals, and, importantly,
pursuing collaborative efforts with other companies andstakeholders to scale critical interventions to address
plastic waste.

Supporting Partners andCollaborations

IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS
Implementation Partners are organizations that scale
the reach and impact of ReSource activities. The Ameri-

THOUGHT PARTNERS

can Beverage Association (ABA) became an

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Ocean Conser-

methods and programmatic expertise with its Every

vancy are leaders in the global effort to stop plastic
pollution. As our thought partners, they provide continued guidance that helps inform strategy and strengthen
the conservation-driven objectives of ReSource. Our work
aims to build on and align with their programs and tools,
notably the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment,
led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Implementation Partner in 2019 to align measurement
Bottle Back initiative, focused on increasing PET recyclingin the United States. In 2020, the U.S. Plastics Pact joined
ABA as a ReSource Implementation Partner, utilizing the
ReSource Footprint Tracker as a measurement tool forannual progress tracking. In 2022, the Canada Plastics
Pact used the ReSource Footprint Tracker to measure its
progress for the first time.

OTHER COLLABORATORS
ReSource also collaborates with peer organizations andinitiatives to strengthen our methodology and amplify ourefforts. A key collaborator in addition to those above is
the World Economic Forum’s Consumers Beyond Waste
initiative. We also acknowledge and appreciate thecontributions that Wood Mackenzie, The Recycling
Partnership, Circulate Capital, and the Plastic Leak Projectmade to the design of the ReSource Footprint Tracker.

@ Paul Colangelo / WWF-US

9

@ naturepl.com / Tom Gilks / WWF

MeasureResults and Progress Report
Transparent 2023 is the fourth annual report that details ReSource Members’ plastic footprints
and tracks progress on corporate actions. This publication provides recommendations for action,
both internal to company supply chains and across wider multi-stakeholder efforts.

Methodology
The ReSource Footprint Tracker is the mechanism that enables ReSource Members to measure,maximize, and multiply the impact of their actions on plastic. The methodology provides insight
into how much and what types of plastic companies use, the source of the material, and where itgoes upon disposal—whether it circulates back into the system or becomes a wasted resource.
Detailed information about each component of the Tracker, including survey structure, data
sources, assumptions, and limitations, can be found in the publication ReSource Footprint Tracker
Methodology Overview.
10No significant updates were made to the quantitative• Due to the limited availability of waste management

data collection survey or methodology for the 2022

data in several key geographies, in many regions it isreporting period. Existing data sources in the waste

currently not possible to meaningfully distinguishmanagement model were reviewed, and updated

between an individual company’s plastic waste

recycling rates were added when available. WWF isfootprint and national averages. Therefore, waste

actively participating in the Plastic Footprint Network

management outcomes are reported in the aggregate(PFN), which is an initiative led by EA – Earth Action toin this report and not on an individual company basis.

standardize plastic footprinting, and will ensure that any
updated datasets on plastic mismanagement that are
released as part of the PFN methodology are integrated
into the ReSource Footprint Tracker to ensure alignment.
The main update for this reporting period was the
addition of a primarily qualitative survey asking Members
about their active reuse programs. For each reuseprogram, the survey asked Members to describe theproduct, packaging, and use cycle, as well as quantitative
reuse metrics aligned with the World Economic Forum’s
Consumers Beyond Waste initiative on the number offunctional units and the percent of portfolio deliv-• Lastly, this assessment represents a relatively small setof companies, so there are limitations on what can beconcluded from the results. While these nine companies are well-known global companies and leaders intheir respective industries, they are not necessarily
representative of these industries as a whole or of the
global plastic waste situation.
As ReSource grows, we will work to enable broader use of
the ReSource Footprint Tracker so that the aggregateddata produce more generalizable insights
across industries.

ered by reuse.
INTERPRETING THE ASSESSMENT
As ReSource has been developed to bring the disparate
variables that contribute to the global plastic waste

2022 Results
COMPANY PORTFOLIO AND CONTEXT

problem into a single framework, there are inevitable

ReSource Members reported a total of 5.10 million metricchallenges in the data collection process. Companies

tons of plastic in 2022 that was sold to retailers andhave very different systems for tracking plastic through-consumers or discarded in-house. In addition, 2.16

out their supply chains, and global data on plastic waste

million metric tons of plastic were sold business-to-busi-

management is not consistently collected. Whenness. Note that whenever plastic footprints arereviewing the findings of the assessment, please

aggregated across Members in this report, there isconsider the following data limitations and assumptions:potential for double counting of any plastic sold between
ReSource Members. It should also be noted that The• The ReSource Footprint Tracker relies on Members to

Coca-Cola Company and Amcor together account forprovide accurate data. WWF works with Members to

78% of the total reported volume, which can skew

identify inconsistencies and fill data gaps, but the data

aggregate results.

submitted by companies for this report were notverified or audited by a third party that was

The global plastic packaging market was estimated to beengaged by WWF.

139 million metric tons in 2021.8 Using this figure,• Data collection methodologies and reporting scopes
vary somewhat between Members. Detailed information about what is covered by the reported data isprovided in each company’s individual results section.

ReSource Members’ contribution to annual global plastic
packaging (excluding business-to-business volumes) isapproximately 3.7%. The total plastic tonnage reported
by ReSource Members increased by 0.8% from2021 to 2022.

11

FIGURE 2. ReSource Members’ aggregate reported plastic tonnage by country in 2022.
Plastic Volumes (MT)
≥ 1,000,000
100,000 - 999,999
10,000 - 99,999
1 - 9,999
0/Insufficient Data

CanadaCanadaUnited States

BermudaUnited States

Western
SaharaTurks and Caicos Islands
BermudaDominican Republic
JamaicaSaint Martin
BelizeCabo Verde
MexicoBahamasPuerto Rico Saint Kitts and Nevis
Honduras
Turks and Caicos Islands
SenegaCuba
Martinique
Guadeloupe
Dominican RepublicSaint Lucia
CuraçaoThe
GambiaJamaica
NicaraguaSaint
MartinGuatamalaSaint
Vincent
Aruba Belize
Barbados
El Salvador
Puerto Rico Saint Kitts and Nevis
Honduras
Trinidad and Tobago
GuineaGuadeloupe Martinique
GuyanaSaint Lucia
Costa Rica
Venezuela
Curaçao
BissauNicaragua
GuatamalaSuriname
Aruba Saint Vincent
Barbados
PanamaEl Salvador
Sier
French Guiana
Trinidad and Tobago
GuyanaLeon
Venezuela
Colombia Costa Rica

MexicoBahamasCuba

Suriname
French Guiana

PanamaColombia

EcuadorEcuador

Peru

PeruBrazil
BrazilSamoa
Fiji

New Caledonia
Australia

Samoa

French Polynesia
Fiji

New Caledonia

Bolivia

French Polynesia

BoliviaParaguay

Chile

Argentina

Argentina
New Zealand

12

New ZealandParaguay

Chile

Uruguay

UruguayNorway

SwedenRussian Federation

Finland

Estonia
UnitedLatviaKingdom
Denmark
Lithuania
Netherlands
BelarusBelgium
Ireland
PolandGermany
LuxembourgCzech Republic
Russian Federation
Ukraine
NorwayFinland
Slovakia
Austria Hungary
SwedenMoldova
Kazakhstan
FranceEstonia
Mongolia
UnitedSerbia Romania
MonacoSwitzerland
LatviaKingdom
Slovinia
Denmark
AndoraLithuania
Bosnia & Netherlands
Uzbekistan
Croatia
Bulgaria
Georgia
Montenegro
Kyrgystan Rep.
Herzegovinia Belgium
Belarus
Albania Kosovo
Azerbaijan
Ireland
PolandPortugal
Armenia
Italy
Germany
Macedonia
Spain
LuxembourgCzech Republic
Turkmenistan
TurkeyTajikistan
South
Ukraine
GreeceSlovakia
Korea
Austria Hungary
Japan
Kazakhstan
Moldova
FranceSyria
Malta
Mongolia
Serbia Romania
China
Tunisia MonacoSwitzerlandSlovinia Cyprus
Lebanon
Iran
AfghanistanAndoraBosniaUzbekistan
Croatia
Iraq
Bulgaria
Georgia
West& Bank
& Gaza Israel
MoroccoKyrgystan Rep.
Herzegovinia Montenegro
Albania Kosovo
Azerbaijan
Portugal
ArmeniaKuwait
Italy
Macedonia Jordan
Spain
Turkmenistan
TurkeyTajikistan
South
GreeceNepal Bhutan
Qatar Bahrain Pakistan
Algeria
Korea
Japan
Libya
Syria
Malta Egypt
Cyprus
China
UnitedArab
Tunisian
LebanonSaudi
Iran
Afghanistan
Iraq
West
Bank
&
Gaza
Emerites
Bangladesh
MoroccoIsrael ArabiaaTaiwanIndia
KuwaitJordanHong Kong
Nepal Bhutan Myanmar
Bahrain
Qatar
Algeria
Pakistan
Lao P.D.R.
Libya
Macau
Oman
Mauritania Western
Egypt
United Arab
Niger
Saudi
Mali
Emerites
Bangladesh
ArabiaSaharaChadEritrea
India
ThailandalPhilippines
Rep. of Yemen
Vietnam Taiwan
MyanmarHong Kong
Sudan
Lao P.D.R.
Macau
Cambodia
Oman
Mauritania
Cabo VerdeBurkina Faso
Niger
Djibouti
Mali
GuineaChadEritreaThailandSenegal Benin
Philippines
Rep. of Yemen
VietnamNigeria
Sudan
BruneiCentralThe Gambia Ghana
Cambodia
Ethiopia
South
Burkina Faso
Djibouti
Darussalam
African Rep.
Sudan
rra Liberia Guinea- Guinea
Benin
Togo
Malaysia
Cameroon
Nigeriane
BruneiCentralGhana
BissauSomalia
Ethiopia
South
Singapore
Darussalam
AfricanUganda
Rep.
Equitoral
GuineaCotes
Sudan
Sierra Liberia
Maldives
TogoCongo Cameroon
Malaysia
Kenya
Papua Newd’Ivoire
Leone
Somalia
Indonesia
RwandaGabon
UgandaSingapore
Equitoral Guinea
Cotes
Seychelles
Dem. Rep.
Maldives
Congo
Kenya
Papua
New
Guinead’Ivoire
BurundiIndonesia
RwandaGabon
of Congo
Seychelles
Dem. Rep.
Tanzania Burundi
of Congo

AngolaZambiaAngolaTanzania

MalawiEswatini
ZambiaComoros

MayotteMalawiEswatini

Mozambique
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Mozambique
Namibia

Botswana
NamibiaSouth Africa

RéunionRéunionMauritius
Mauritius

Madagascar
Madagascar

BotswanaSouth AfricaLesotho

Comoros

MayotteAustralia

New

Australia

Lesotho
New Zealand

13

TABLE 1. T otal plastic tonnages for the 2018 through 2022 reporting periods. Bold figures indicate each Member’sbaseline year. Tonnages have been rounded to three significant figures.
2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Amcor

-

-

2,360,000

2,370,000

2,160,000

Colgate-Palmolive--

289,000

279,000

260,000

CVS Health

-

-

-

12,10011,600Keurig Dr Pepper

208,000

230,000

230,000

243,000

247,000

Kimberly-Clark-

111,000

106,000

86,400105,000

153,000

181,000

156,000

162,000

164,000-

605,000

609,000

679,000

685,000

Starbucks

191,000

133,000

121,000

151,000

153,000

The Coca-Cola Company

3,010,000

3,100,000

2,960,000

3,220,000

3,470,000

McDonald’s
Procter & Gamble

Table 1 presents the total plastic tonnages reported by

As of 2022, seven out of the nine ReSource Members

ReSource Members in each year since their baseline. Of

have decreased their plastic use relative to their normal-

the nine Members, four have reduced and five haveization factor since their baseline year (see Appendix A

increased their absolute tonnage of plastic sincefor details and further discussion on normalization

their baseline.

factors). While using normalization factors can provide
useful context, it is important to note that, ultimately, theLooking at tonnage changes relative to a normalization

expectation is that companies will reduce their absolutefactor provides additional context for understanding

tonnage of plastic even as they grow.

Members’ tonnage changes year-over-year. If a company
increases its sales from one year to the next, its plastic

The ReSource Footprint Tracker includes an analysis of

tonnage would also be expected to increase, all else

product form and polymer composition (Figure 3). An

being equal. Conversely, if sales decrease, as they

understanding of the distribution of forms and polymers

generally did during the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic use

used by Members can help inform mitigation actions,can drop significantly without companies necessarily

including opportunities to redesign, substitute material

making changes to their plastic portfolios. Ideally, thetypes, and adopt innovative business models to elimi-

normalization factor would get at the concept of “plastic

nate unnecessary plastic. Key findings include:

intensity,” or the amount of plastic being used perfunctional unit or serving of a company’s product being• Rigid plastics account for 81.5% of plastic used bysold. However, finding a metric that does this across

ReSource Members, with flexibles accounting for thecompanies is difficult. ReSource Members use a normal-

remaining 18.5%.

ization factor based on either revenue or unitsof packaging.

14

Figure 3 – Form and Polymer Bar Chart

FIGURE 3. P olymer breakdown by form category for ReSource Members’ aggregate plastic portfolio.
The Other category includes anything categorized “Other,” as well as PETG, PVC, LLDPE, PLA, PHA,
6,000,000
and EVOH, due to low reported volumes.

5,000,000

MET RI C T O NS

4,000,000

3,000,000

66%
2,000,000

1,000,000

0

4%

1%

Bottle

1%
1%

1%
4%
ClosureMono-material
ﬁlm

8%
5%

1%
1%

Other
ﬂexible

5%
Other
rigid

■ High-density■ Low-density■ Polyethylene■ Polypropylene (PP)■ Polystyrene (PS)■ Otherpolyethylene (HDPE)

polyethylene (LDPE)

2%
1%
Small
plastics

terephthalate (PET)• PET bottles are the most common packaging type in• The total weight of plastic in the aggregate portfolio

the aggregate portfolio at 65.5%. This is followed byincreased by 0.8% from 7.20 million metric tons inother flexibles at 13.8%, which includes 7.3% that is

2021 to 7.26 million metric tons in 2022.

categorized as “other” polymers, referring to multi-material flexibles using multiple polymers. PET bottles areprimarily used for beverage bottles. “Other flexibles”
includes multi-laminate flexible packaging, with two or
more materials bonded together, which is used for awide range of applications across different industries.
Results in the following sections are reported in relation• The average use of recycled content across theaggregate portfolio increased to 12.0% in 2022, up
from 10.2% in 2021.
• The share of packaging that is recyclable increased to72.5% in 2022 from 70.4% in 2021.
• Based on WWF’s waste management model, 34% of

to progress and action on the recommendations in

ReSource Members’ plastic footprint is estimated to beTransparent 2022. All percentages are by weight ofrecycled, 9% incinerated, 42% landfilled, andplastic. Portfolios differ significantly across ReSource

15% mismanaged.

Members, which significantly influences the average
results presented below. Highlights from the aggregate
results include the following:

15

ELIMINATE UNNECESSARY PLASTIC THROUGH
BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION, REDUCTION,
AND SUBSTITUTION

and continued economic recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic as well as increased use of plastic. However,companies should strive to reduce their use of virgin

Elimination and Reduction of Virgin Fossil Plastic
The elimination and reduction of virgin fossil-based
plastic is the most important action that companies cantake to work toward a future with no plastic in nature.
ReSource Members have eliminated and reduced plastic
in their portfolio using a wide range of strategies—fromlightweighting and replacing plastic with alternative

fossil-based plastic even as they grow, and most
ReSource Members have committed to absolute reductions targets for virgin fossil-based plastic.
Eliminating Problematic and Unnecessary Plastic
Eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic
continues to be a key strategy for ReSource Members.
Problematic plastics are those that contain hazardous

materials to shifting to reuse models and introducing

chemicals, hinder or disrupt the recyclability or com-

durable products that replace single-use products.
Specific actions taken by ReSource Members to reduce
plastic waste during the reporting period are detailed in
the individual company sections.

postability of other items, and/or have a high likelihoodof leaking into the environment. Not all problematic
plastics can be identified in the data collected throughthe ReSource Footprint Tracker, so for the purposes ofFive ReSource Members saw an overall reduction in theirvirgin fossil-based plastic tonnage from 2021 to 2022.
The remaining four ReSource Members had increases intheir total virgin fossil-based plastic tonnage (Table 2). It’sdifficult to identify the specific drivers of these increases,
but they could include overall growth of the companies

this analysis, problematic plastics are defined as polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and small plastics.
Small plastics are defined as being smaller than 2 inches
in two dimensions, and for ReSource Members, primarily
consist of straws, cutlery, beverage stirrers/plugs, andspecialty containers. Small plastics often have difficulty

TABLE 2. C hange in the tonnage of virgin fossil-based plastic used by ReSource Members from 2021 to 2022.
Tonnages have been rounded to three significant figures.
Virgin Fossil-Based Plastic Tonnage

16

2021

2022

ChangeAmcor

2,230,000

1,970,000-11.5%

Colgate-Palmolive

239,000

222,000-7.2%

CVS Health

11,90011,600-2.5%

Keurig Dr Pepper

215,000

203,000-5.8%

Kimberly-Clark

83,700102,000+21.8%

McDonald’s

157,000

158,000+0.3%

Procter & Gamble

595,000

612,000+2.9%

Starbucks

141,000

136,000-4.0%

The Coca-Cola Company

2,770,000

2,950,000+6.5%

being captured in the recycling stream due to their size.

This is the first year that ReSource has comprehensively

Unnecessary plastics are ones that can be avoided orcollected data from Members specifically on their efforts

replaced by a reuse model while maintaining utility.

on reuse. ReSource Members were asked to provide

These are also difficult to quantify based on data

qualitative and quantitative data on the four reusecollected through ReSource but are discussed qualita-

models defined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation—

tively in the individual company sections.

refill on the go, refill at home, return on the go, andreturn from home.9 Members shared information about

Overall, problematic plastics made up 1.2% (87,000

their efforts on each of these reuse modalities, but also

metric tons) in 2022, a decrease from 1.3% (91,000

shared progress and impact on other activities andmetric tons) in 2021. The total tonnage of small plastics

innovations that fall outside the scope of these fourcontinued to decrease in 2022. However, the overall

modalities, including reusable products and reuse in B2B

tonnage of PS increased by 10,000 metric tons andoperations. As this is the first reporting period that

overall tonnage of PVC increased by 1,000 metric tons

comprehensively includes reuse, the reported informa-from 2021 to 2022. The increase in PS was drivention is less comprehensive than on other topics, andprimarily by increases in Amcor’s and P&G’s portfolios,

there are many opportunities to build on the informa-with Amcor’s increase being due to improvements intion collected throughout the upcoming year andreporting and not a true increase in use.

sharing learnings to find the best ways to eliminate
plastic waste through reuse.

FIGURE 4. Tonnage of problematic plastics reported
by ReSource Members in 2021 and 2022.

The Coca-Cola Company delivered 14% of its total
beverage volume in reusable packaging in 2022. This
percentage includes refill and return pilots in markets
around the globe as well as fully scaled reuse programsin several markets. In France, the company offers

15,200

MET RI C T O NS

33,100Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in reusable glass
1,200

bottles (RGB) nationwide and has launched RGBs for
additional beverages in hotels, restaurants, and cafés. In

190some markets, for World Environment Day, the company
invited consumers in Latin America to trade any recycla70,100

57,900ble PET bottle for a refillable bottle of Coca-Cola Zero
Sugar. In Brazil, reusable PET bottles, known as the“Universal Bottle,” can be returned, cleaned, and refilled
multiple times. In the United States, the company piloted
a returnable glass bottle program in El Paso, Texas,

2021■ Polystyrene (PS)2022

■ Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)■ Small plastics (including PS and PVC)

which generated a 75% return rate. The Coca-Cola
Company is also working with Reuse Seattle to encourage customers to transition to reusable cups for thedispensed products as part of a broader multi-stakeholder effort across the region.

New Business Models and Reuse
A majority of the plastic portfolios of ReSource Members
continues to be single-use and disposable. New businessmodels like reuse are an avenue to reducing overall plastic
usage and shifting away from a linear “take-make-waste”
model. Many Members include refill and reuse models as a
key part of their strategy to reduce plastic pollution and are
involved in working groups with efforts to scale reuse at anational and/or global level. All nine ReSource Members areworking on reuse in some capacity.

Some ReSource Members moderately increased the scaleof established reuse programs. Keurig Dr Pepper has along-established reuse operation in Mexico that has
been active since the founding of the company. They
have existing infrastructure that enables glass bottles tobe collected and returned, where they are inspected,
cleaned, refilled, packaged, and sent back to market. The
average bottle in this system is used 50 times. KDP alsouses reusable packaging extensively within its B2B
17

operations in the form of beverage crates and pallets.

giving consumers the option to reuse the handle andColgate-Palmolive delivers 1.8% of its total plastic

only replace the head after it has been worn out fromtonnage by the refill at home modality through its liquid

repeated use, which results in at least 80% lesshand soap business.

plastic waste.

Starbucks has had a lot of experience experimenting

Packaging producer Amcor is enabling reuse systems forwith reuse models, with more than 20 pilots taking placebusiness customers by manufacturing reusable bottles

globally over the past few years. Perhaps the mostand auxiliary refill packages that are much lighter inubiquitous reuse option is the company’s Personal Cup

weight than traditional rigid packaging. The company’s

program, which falls under the refill on the go modality.

reusable beverage bottles, which are used in refill on the

The customer brings their own cup to the store andgo systems, are designed to achieve 25 loops. Amcor

receives a $0.10 discount; Starbucks Rewards members

manufactured 32.6 million refillable beverage bottles,

also receive 25 Bonus Stars. Their drink is served in that

potentially enabling 815 million beverages to be deliv-

cup, and they bring it home to wash. Customers haveered through refill on the go systems. Amcor’s auxiliary

been able to bring their personal cups when ordering inrefill pouches are used in refill at home applications andcafé, and starting in 2024, customers in the United

are designed to be recycle-ready, although they are notStates and Canada will be able to participate in the

widely accepted by recyclers today. Amcor enabled up to

Personal Cup program at Starbucks stores when

25.6 million refill at home deliveries through theseordering at the drive-thru or through mobile order. In

auxiliary refill pouches. Amcor also uses reusable

some global markets, stores also have a Borrow-A-Cup

packaging in its B2B delivery and within its own opera-

program, where a customer can take a returnable cup to

tions. CVS Health piloted a reusable shopping bag rental

go and return it later, so it can be washed and reused.

and return system in New Jersey and is using thelearnings from these pilots to inform its strategy on

While durable glasses and cups are standard in mostsingle-use plastic bags.

sit-down food service establishments, shifting fromsingle use to reusables for takeaway-oriented establishments does present a large opportunity for eliminating
plastic waste. Starbucks has some locations that offer

SHIFT TO SUSTAINABLE INPUTS FORREMAINING PLASTIC

their For-Here-Ware program to dine-in customers,

After taking action to eliminate what is unnecessary,

where beverages are served in reusable cups andshifting to sustainable inputs for remaining plastic is awashed in dishwashers in the store and used again.

key step to reduce the environmental impacts of

Building on pilots from previous years, McDonald’s

material sourcing. Sustainable inputs include recycledcontinues scaling the implementation of reusable

content, responsibly sourced biobased content,10 andpackaging focused in key geographies, and is sharing

other innovative materials in the future. In this report,

learnings across markets to assess its effectiveness. In

recycled content refers only to post-consumer recycled

2022, McDonald’s offered reusable cups for cold drinks

content, unless otherwise specified. Key findings include:in South Korea, introduced reusable tableware fordine-in use in France, and launched reusable cups forbeverages and desserts in Germany.

• The majority of plastic across the aggregate portfolio isderived from virgin fossil-based inputs, totaling 87.9%,
equivalent to 6.37 million metric tons. This is 76,900

Several companies are enabling reuse not through their

metric tons or 1.2% less than in 2021. Across ReSource

packaging design, but by the design of their products.

Members, the use of virgin fossil-based content

Kimberly-Clark and Colgate-Palmolive have reusable

ranges from 82.3% to 100.0%.

products that aim at displacing disposable products.
Kimberly-Clark is commercializing reusable underwear
for menstrual needs and reusable swim diapers forbabies. Colgate-Palmolive has introduced toothbrushes
with durable metal handles and replaceable heads,

18• Recycled content increased to 12.0% of the aggregate
portfolio in 2022, up from 10.2% in 2021. The use ofrecycled content ranges from unknown (reported as0.0%) to 17.7% across ReSource Members.

Figure 5 Recycled content by Region

FIGURE 5. Distribution of recycled content by region for ReSource Members in 2022.
3,000,000

2,500,000

12%

MET RI C T O NS

2,000,000

1,500,000

16%

7%

1,000,000

20%

1%

500,000

6%

3%

0
North
America

Latin America& Caribbean

East Asia& Paciﬁc

Europe &Central Asia

■ Virgin content• By region, 20% of Europe & Central Asia’s plastic
portfolio is made of recycled content, followed by 16%
in Latin America & Caribbean, 12% in North America,
7% in East Asia & Pacific, 6% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 3%
in the Middle East & North Africa, and 1% inSouth Asia.
• By form, 95% of recycled content was reported inbottles and 4% was in other rigid packaging.
• Biobased content continues to make up only a fractionof a percent of the aggregate portfolio. In 2022,

South
Asia

Sub-SaharanAfricaMiddle East
& North Africa■ Recycled content• Nearly 21% of all small plastics are made of
biobased content.
• By region, 72% of biobased content was reported in
North America, 22% in East Asia & Pacific, 2% in
Europe & Central Asia, and 1% in Latin America &Caribbean, the Middle East & North Africa, and SouthAsia, and 0% in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• By form, 31% of biobased content was reported in
flexibles, 30% in other rigid packaging, 21% in bottles,
17% in small plastics, and 1% in closures.

biobased content comprised 0.3% of the overall
plastic footprint, equivalent to 19,700 metric tons. In
2022, 38% of this biobased content was specified as
being responsibly sourced, down from 65% in 2021.

19Figure 6 Aggregate Inputs
FIGURE 6. Sustainable and virgin fossil-based inputs for ReSource Members in 2021 and 2022.
8,000,000

0%0%7,000,000

10%

12%

90%

88%

2021

2022

MET RI C T O NS

6,000,000

5,000,000

4,000,000

3,000,000

2,000,000

1,000,0000■ Virgin content■ Recycled content

DOUBLE GLOBAL RECYCLING ANDCOMPOSTING OF PLASTIC
There are several ways ReSource Members can contribute toward the goal of doubling recycling andcomposting globally. Actions range from making changes
to their own packaging portfolio to engaging in collective
action to scale collection and recycling of plastic to
advocating for policy to make recycling and composting
more accessible around the world.
Targeting Factors Within Immediate
Business Control
The most direct way that ReSource Members canincrease recycling and composting rates is by designing
their packaging with the end of use at the front of mind.
It’s important that products are designed to be recycled,
composted, or reused. In 2022, 72% of Members’ plastic
packaging was recyclable in practice and at scale.11 Thisis an increase from 70% in 2021, primarily due to a slightincrease in the proportion of PET bottles in the aggregate portfolio. Companies can transform their portfolios
by eliminating hard-to-recycle forms and polymers, such
as PS, PVC, and small plastics, from their portfolios.
Additionally, increasing their use of sustainable inputs
20■ Biobased content

helps drive the demand for recycled inputs by incentivizing individuals and businesses to recycle more toincrease supply.
Just because packaging is designed to be recyclable
doesn’t always mean it will actually be recycled in practice.
Often, recycling infrastructure doesn’t have the capacity tohandle the large volumes of waste that are being generated, or it isn’t economically viable, and many parts of theworld have little to no waste management infrastructure
at all. Understanding the waste management situation in
the specific markets a company is operating in is key toimproving packaging circularity and minimizing plastic
leakage. WWF’s waste management model provides anestimate of how much packaging is recycled, incinerated,
landfilled, and mismanaged in practice based on country-level waste management data and the amounts andtypes of plastic sold by Members in each country. The
analysis of waste management pathways is intended tohelp WWF and ReSource Members identify opportunities
in key geographies to eliminate or substitute plastics athigh risk of mismanagement, design for local recycling orcomposting infrastructure, and invest in improving waste
management systems. For instance, designing packaging

Figure 7 All Members – Recyclable, Reusable, or Compostable?

FIGURE 7. Share of reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging for ReSource Members in 2021 and 2022.
8,000,000

7,000,000

MET RI C T O NS

6,000,000

27%

29%

0%

0%

5,000,000

4,000,000

3,000,000

72%

70%
2,000,000

1,000,000

1%
0

2021

■ Reusable

1%
2022

■ Recyclable■ Compostable■ Noneto be more recyclable will have limited impact in regions

Waste Management Regional Breakdown

lacking recycling infrastructure and with high rates of

The likely waste management pathways for plastics bymismanagement. In these regions, other solutions suchregion are aggregated based on ReSource Members’

as elimination, material substitution, or new business

reported plastic volumes by country within set regions

models and reuse should be prioritized, in addition to(Figure 9 and outlined in Appendix C). These regional

engaging with governments to implement effective waste

waste management estimates are based on the geo-

management systems.

graphical distribution of sales and proportions of plastic
types within the aggregate portfolio of ReSource

In 2022, 34% of ReSource Members’ plastic footprint was

Members and thus are not meant to be representative

estimated to be recycled, 9% incinerated, 42% landfilled,of the end life of plastics across all sectors inand 15% mismanaged. This is very similar to the esti-these regions.

mates in 2021 due to the portfolio breakdown by
country, form, and polymer remaining quite consistent

Regionally, ReSource Members’ aggregate plastic foot-across the two years.

print is most heavily concentrated in North America, with
35% of the total tonnage. Because all Members have a

Waste management pathways were further calculated

large presence in North America, this is the region wherewith the distinction between rigids and flexible plastics

there is the most diversity of plastic types in the aggre-(Figure 8). The difference in recycling rates between

gate portfolio and thereby where the estimated waste

rigids (41%) and flexibles (3%) reflects the trend that rigid

management outcomes more closely resemble regional

plastics, and particularly bottles, which account for 70%

averages. The Europe & Central Asia region also has aof the aggregate portfolio of ReSource Members, con-comparatively balanced mix of plastic types, making thetinue to be recycled at a higher rate than flexible plastics.

ReSource estimates more representative of the overall

Meanwhile, flexibles are estimated to be incinerated,

waste management situation in that region.

landfilled, and mismanaged at higher rates than rigids.

21

Figure 8 Waste Management outcomes for rigid vs ﬂexible
FIGURE 8. Waste management outcomes for rigid versus flexible plastics for ReSource Members in 2022.
7,000,000

6,000,000

MET RI C T O NS

14%5,000,000

38%

4,000,000

3,000,000

7%2,000,000

22%

41%

1,000,000

57%

3%

0

Rigid

■ Recycling

18%

Flexible■ Incineration■ Landﬁll■ Mismanagement

Figure 9 Waste
Management
by Regionin 2022.
FIGURE 9. Estimated waste management
outcomesby region forOutcome
ReSource Members
3,000,000

2%2,500,000

MET R IC TO N S

2,000,000

65%
1,500,000

10%
34%
9%

1,000,000

15%
7%500,000

44%

49%

32%

13%

19%
39%

41%
24%

0
East Asia& Paciﬁc

Europe &Central Asia

■ Recycling
22

Latin America& Caribbean■ Incineration

34%
42%

Middle East
& North Africa■ Landﬁll

21%

6%

44%
51%

North
America

South
Asia

■ Mismanagement

34%

49%

17%

Sub-SaharanAfrica@ WWF-UK

The results for other regions are affected by higher

Given both the relatively large sales volumes and highproportions of PET bottles (70–99%), which tend to havemismanagement rates, China and the broader East Asia

high recycling rates. For instance, East Asia & Pacific,& Pacific region continue to be the country and region

South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa are all characterizedwith the highest estimated total tonnage of mismanaged

by both high estimated rates of recycling and misman-waste for ReSource Members.

agement. This is driven by a high proportion of theaggregate portfolio in these countries being PET bottles,

For more information about the country-level data andand our model having to reconcile both high reported

assumptions informing the waste management model,

rates of PET bottle recycling and high rates of misman-please see the ReSource Footprint Tracker Methodology

agement of plastic. Although true for the results in

Overview and the model assumptions.

general, the estimates for these regions in particular are
uncertain due to limited and often conflicting waste
management data and are not representative of theregions’ overall waste management situation.

23

Individual Member Footprints and Progress
The following sections explore individual ReSource Members’ footprints; please see Appendix B for summary tables.

Amcor
The data provided by Amcor cover flexible and rigid packaging produced by the company, accounting for 100% ofbusinesses producing plastic packaging and an estimated
83% of the company’s overall operations. Secondary
packaging, tertiary packaging, and Amcor’s Specialty Cartonsbusiness are out of scope for this assessment. The reported
data cover the period July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
Key changes to Amcor’s portfolio include:• Amcor increased its use of recycled content from 5.6%
in 2021 to 8.4% in 2022.

INSIGHTS ON AMCOR’S PROGRESS
As part of the company’s efforts to address problematicand unnecessary packaging, Amcor eliminated PVC fromblister packs in Europe using Amsky, Amcor’s PVC- andaluminum-free technology. In North America, the company
qualified an alternative to carbon black for CPET trays,
allowing for more effective sortation at MRFs. On sustainable inputs, Amcor has continued increasing the usage ofrPET, reaching 17% post-consumer recycled content usage
by weight in its rigid packaging during the reporting period.
Amcor has expanded its portfolio of recycle-ready prod-• In 2022, plastic categorized as “other” polymers repre-

ucts, with 94.9% and 47.8% of its rigid and flexible plastic

sented 22.1% of Amcor’s portfolio, primarily in its

portfolios, respectively, sold as recycle-ready by weightmulti-material flexible packaging that contains several

during the reporting period. Additionally, the company

different polymers, and where it is difficult to specify the

now offers flexible recycle-ready alternatives for 90% of its

tonnage of each. In 2021, only 0.03% was categorized as

products, measured in square meters.

“other” polymers as Amcor indicated the primary polymer
in each format; however, this can skew the consolidated
polymer data leading to a change in categorization in 2022.
• The other flexible category increased from 36.4% in
2021 to 37.5%, while the mono-material film category

On reuse, Amcor provides reusable PET bottles andauxiliary refill pouches that are interchangeable for several
products. Amcor’s containers are designed for 25 loops
per beverage bottle. All pouches are recycle ready.

decreased from 11.0% in 2021 to 9.0% in 2022.

AMCOR OVERVIEW AND GOALS
Amcor believes that sustainability goes far beyond thegone further. By carefully selecting the raw materials

products that it makes. Nonetheless, the defining

used, considering the life cycle impacts of its

sustainability issue in the packaging industry is minimiz-packaging, and designing for optimal end-of-use,

ing the presence of packaging waste in the environment.

Amcor continues to demonstrate its leadership inThis is a challenge and an opportunity. The answer is

responsible packaging.

responsible packaging, which rests on three pillars—innovating for product design, collaborating for better
waste management and recycling infrastructure, andinforming for greater consumer participation.

24• Amcor has committed to increase its use of PCR
resins across its portfolio from a target of 10% by
2025 to 30% by 2030.
• By 2030, Amcor will reduce its greenhouse gas• Amcor was the first packaging company to commit

emissions intensity by 60% compared to a 2006

to all its packaging being recyclable or reusable bybaseline and has committed to net zero carbon

2025, and, since making that commitment, it hasemissions by 2050.

Figure 10 Amcor Pie Charts
FIGURE 10. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of Amcor’s plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsForm
Recycled content
8%Polymer

Other rigid 7%

PS 2%

HDPE 2%

Monomaterial ﬁlm
9%

PP
6%
PET
47%

Bottle
46%

LDPE
20%

Other ﬂexible
38%

Virgin content
92%

Other
22%

Figure 11
Amcor
Sustainable
InputsFIGURE 11. U
 se of sustainable inputs in Amcor’s
plastic
portfolio
from 2020
to 2022, and comparison to2025 and 2030 targets.
30%

25%

20%

30%

15%

10%

5%

0.2%

0.9%
4.5%

10%

8.4%
5.6%

0%
2020

2021

■ Recycled content

2022

2025 Target

2030 Target■ Biobased content (other)25

Colgate-Palmolive
The data provided by Colgate-Palmolive cover all production

other problematic applications such as carbon black

happening in the company’s facilities, accounting for more

pigment and colored PET bottles in certain markets. The

than 98% of the company’s current sales and activities.

company also eliminated 1,049 tons of plastic globally

Secondary and tertiary packaging are included in thethrough lightweighting various formats. In 2022, Col-reported data. The company’s EltaMD, Filorga, hello, andgate-Palmolive’s use of post-consumer recycled content

PCA Skin businesses as well as co-packer packaging are out

plastic in packaging reached 14.7%, in part throughof scope for this assessment. The reported data cover the

implementing 100% recycled content in PET bottles inperiod January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.

certain applications and markets. Colgate-Palmolive ismaking significant progress in its efforts to transform the

Key changes to Colgate-Palmolive’s portfolio include:• Colgate-Palmolive’s use of post-consumer recycled content
increased slightly from 14.2% in 2021 to 14.7% in 2022.
• Other rigids (primarily PE toothpaste tubes) increased
from 20.3% of the portfolio in 2021 to 36.6% in 2022.
This was in part due to caps being recategorized fromclosures to other rigids.

toothpaste category—approximately 20 billion tubes peryear—and has shared its recyclable tube technology
through 70+ sessions with the packaging industry, NGOs,
and other companies. Other efforts to improve the recyclability of the company’s portfolio included converting PS
trays to PET in Poland and multi-material films to mono-material PE films for pouches in Europe.
On reuse, Colgate-Palmolive has a well-established• “Other” polymers represented 14.8% of Colgate-Pal-business for liquid hand soap and body wash refills, where

molive’s portfolio, up from 5.6% in 2021, while LDPE

the refill is either a flexible pouch or rigid bottle that candecreased from 27.5% to 17.3%, in part due to a change

refill existing bottle-closure/dispenser systems. By weight,

in categorization for multi-material flexibles.

approximately 1.8% of the company’s total plastic tonnage
is comprised of reusable liquid hand soap packages that

INSIGHTS ON COLGATE-PALMOLIVE’S PROGRESS

can be refilled at home. Other refill at home solutions
include hello toothpaste tablets, Palmolive Shake andColgate-Palmolive continues to remove the small amount ofClean dish soap, and Colgate Keep and hello durable

remaining PVC from packaging and has transitioned out of

toothbrush handles with replaceable toothbrush heads.

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE OVERVIEW AND GOALSColgate-Palmolive is a caring, innovative growth

Colgate-Palmolive’s 2025 packaging and plastics

company reimagining a healthier future for all people,

targets include:

their pets, and our planet. And with the Colgate brand• Eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastics

in more homes than any other, Colgate feels the
awesome responsibility to make sustainability an easy
part of people’s lives.
To help fulfill its purpose, in 2020, Colgate launched its
2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Strategy withthree key ambitions as well as 11 actions and over 50
corresponding targets.

26

in packaging• Convert all packaging to recyclable, reusable, orcompostable• Reduce new (virgin) plastic by one-third against a
2019 baseline• Use 25% post-consumer recycled plastic across the
packaging portfolio

Figure 12 Colgate-Palmolive Pie Charts
FIGURE 12. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of Colgate-Palmolive’s plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsForm
Mono-materialﬁlm 1%

Recycled
content
15%

Virgin content
85%

Polymer
Closure 1%

Other
ﬂexible15%
Bottle
46%

Other
15%

PET
29%

Other rigid
37%

PP
15%
LDPE
17%

HDPE
24%

FIGURE 13. Use of post-consumer recycledcontent
in Colgate-Palmolive’s
plastic portfolio
from 2020 to 2022.
Figure13 Colgate-Palmolive
Sustainable
Inputs
30%

25%

20%

15%
25%
10%

5%

14.2%

14.7%

2021

2022

10.5%

0%
2020

2025 Target■ Recycled content

27

CVS Health
The data provided by CVS Health cover plastic in primary• The share of several form categories changed signifi-

packaging for the company’s Store Brand products in thecantly from 2021 to 2022, including bottles from 71.9%

United States, based on data from about 70% of suppliers.

to 23.8%, other rigids from 12.0% to 46.2%, and other

The data account for about 5-10% of the company’s

flexibles from 3.5% to 27.3%.

overall operations. Secondary and tertiary packaging, as
well as the company’s Retail Pharmacy, Distribution
Centers, Mail Order Pharmacy, and Long-Term Care

• PVC accounts for 4.8% of CVS Health’s portfolio,
compared to 1.1% in 2021.

Pharmacy businesses are out of scope for this assessment. The reported data cover the period January 1, 2022,
through December 31, 2022.
In the past year, CVS Health updated its data collection
process, which will enable greater consistency moving
forward. As a result of the change, different suppliers areincluded in the reported data, leading to significant
changes in the company’s portfolio compared to 2021.
The suppliers included in 2022 are predominantly in thehealth care products categories as opposed to a subset of

INSIGHTS ON CVS HEALTH’S PROGRESS
Throughout the past year, CVS Health’s collaboration with
Closed Loop Partners and industry peers resulted inseveral tests of innovative bag solutions and infrastructure
investments. The company has recently tested a reusable
bag rental and return system in New Jersey, a bring-yourown bag campaign and a bagless store experience to drive
consumer behavior change and scalable solutions.

the largest suppliers irrespective of category in 2021.

CVS Health has continued to expand How2Recycle labeling

Key changes to CVS Health’s portfolio include:

2Recycle messaging to 60% of active store brand SKUs in• CVS Health was unable to collect data on recycled

packaging by the end of 2024. The company also launchedon its Store Brand products. The company added How2022 and is on track to achieve this across all Store Brand

content for 2022. It is reported as 0.0%, as the actual

new products in 2023 centered on reuse, including its

percentage is unknown. In 2021, the company reported

Gold Emblem® aluminum water bottles and Total Home®

1.6% recycled content.

food storage bags.

CVS HEALTH OVERVIEW AND GOALS
CVS Health continues to put sustainability at the heartof the consumer experience, testing innovative solutions and advancing existing practices to reduce theimpact of plastic. CVS Health has set the following
sustainable packaging goals:• Ensure all packaging for Store Brands products
is 100% reusable, recyclable, compostable, or canbe returned to us for proper disposal at the end oflife by 2030

28

• Reduce single-use virgin plastic in Store Brand
packaging by 50% by 2030
• By 2023, define a list of packaging to be designatedas problematic or unnecessary and take measures
to eliminate them by 2030​

Figure 14 CVS Health Pie Charts
FIGURE 14. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of CVS Health’s reported plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsForm
Closure 1%

Polymer
Mono-materialﬁlm 2%

Other 2%

PVC 5%

Bottle
24%

HDPE
12%

PET
41%

Other rigid
46%

Virgin content
100%

LDPE 4%Other
ﬂexible
27%

PP
36%

Figure 15 CVS Health Sustainable Inputs
FIGURE 15. Use of post-consumer recycled content in CVS Health’s plastic portfolio from 2021 to 2022.
30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

1.6%

0.0%*

2021

2022

■ Recycled content* CVS Health was unable to collect data on recycled content for 2022. It is reported as 0.0%, as the actual percentage is unknown.

29

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP)
The data provided by Keurig Dr Pepper cover primary,secondary, and tertiary plastic packaging for the UnitedStates, Mexico, and Canada, which is comprehensive of thecompany’s wholly owned operations. Franchised bottled
beverage volumes are out of scope for this assessment.
The reported data cover the period January 1, 2022,
through December 31, 2022.
Key changes to Keurig Dr Pepper’s portfolio include:• Keurig Dr Pepper’s use of recycled content increased
significantly, from 11.5% in 2021 to 17.7% in 2022.
• In 2022, bottles made up 65.5% of the portfolio, adecrease from 75.2% in 2020. However, this is in partdue to closures being reported together with bottles in
2021, which accounted for 8.0% of the portfolio in 2022
as opposed to 0.0% in 2021.
• Flexibles increased from 4.8% of the portfolio in
2021 to 6.6% in 2022.

INSIGHTS ON KEURIG DR PEPPER’S PROGRESS
Keurig Dr Pepper has reduced its virgin plastic footprint by
11% from the 2019 baseline, toward its goal of 20% by2025, through increased use of post-consumer recycledcontent and lightweighting. In 2022, the company began
the process of lightweighting its polypropylene K-Cup®
pods, resulting in the reduction of plastic packaging usedin each pod by approximately 18%. Keurig Dr Pepper’s useof post-consumer recycled content reached 17.7% in
2022, spurred by the conversion of all Core Hydration and
16-ounce Snapple products to bottles made from 100%
recycled PET. All Snapple 16-ounce packaging was also
converted to be recyclable during the reporting period
through the removal of metal closures and paper labels.
With regard to consumer-facing reusable packaging,
Keurig Dr Pepper currently sells beverages in refillable
glass bottles in Mexico where the infrastructure forcollection, sanitation, and refill exists. An average bottle inthe company’s system lasts 50 turns in its life cycle before
being recycled. The company also offers a reusable coffee
filter called My K-Cup® for Keurig brewers, which acts as
the pod and can be filled with any ground coffee.

KEURIG DR PEPPER OVERVIEW AND GOALS
Sustainable packaging is a top priority for Keurig Dr

three coalitions in support of a more circular economy

Pepper, demonstrated by the company’s commitment

and has invested nearly $42 million in recycling

to support the transition to a circular economy throughinfrastructure and education across North America.

investment, innovation, and collaboration. Keurig Dr
Pepper’s packaging strategy is centered on advancing
the use of more sustainable packaging materials anddesigns that use less virgin plastic. Important to thisreduction is incorporating more post-consumer
recycled content, eliminating unnecessary materials,
redesigning packaging to be compatible with recycling
and composting systems, and exploring reuse and refill
models. The company also encourages consumer
recycling behaviors, invests in recycling infrastructure,
and advocates for smart policy solutions, such as awell-designed Extended Producer Responsibility
program. Since 2014, Keurig Dr Pepper has co-founded30

Keurig Dr Pepper is committed to the following 2025
sustainable packaging goals:• 100% of KDP packaging to be recyclable
or compostable• 30% post-consumer recycled content used across the
KDP packaging portfolio• 25% post-consumer recycled content used across the
KDP plastic packaging portfolio• 20% virgin plastic reduction across KDP’s plastic
packaging portfolio

Figure 16 Keurig Dr Pepper Pie Charts
FIGURE 16. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of Keurig Dr Pepper’s plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsForm
Other ﬂexible 2%

Polymer
Mono-materialﬁlm 5%LLDPE 1%LDPE 5%HDPE 6%

Closure8%

Recycled
content
18%

Virgin content
82%

Bottle66%

Other rigid
20%

PP
23%

PET
64%

Figure 17. Use of post-consumer recycled content in
Keurig Dr Pepper’s plastic portfolio from 2018 to
2022.

FIGURE 17. Use of post-consumer recycled content in Keurig Dr Pepper’s plastic portfolio from 2018 to 2022.
30%

25%

20%

15%
25%
10%

17.7%
11.5%

5%

0%

0.3%

0.4%

2.0%

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2025 Target■ Recycled content

31

Kimberly-Clark
The data provided by Kimberly-Clark cover the company’s
global consumer and professional products businesses,
accounting for an estimated 95% of the company’s
operations. Secondary and tertiary packaging are includedin the reported data. The company’s feminine care primary
product wrappers are out of scope for this assessment.
The reported data cover the period January 1, 2022,
through December 31, 2022.
Key changes to Kimberly-Clark’s portfolio include:• Kimberly-Clark’s use of recycled content decreased from
3.1% in 2021 to 2.7% in 2022.
• LDPE mono-material film remains the largest category in
the portfolio at 72.8%, but it decreased from 80.3% in
2021. PP other rigids increased from 3.1% to 13.3%.
• PET other flexibles make up the remaining 13.9% of thecompany’s portfolio.

INSIGHTS ON KIMBERLY-CLARK’S PROGRESS
Kimberly-Clark focused on product design and innovation
and advancing strategic partnerships to address its plastic
footprint and reduce end-of-life waste. For example, in
2022 Kimberly-Clark replaced its traditional baby wipes
base sheet, made from 70% cellulose fiber and 30%
polypropylene, with a new 100% cellulose fiber material,
resulting in the elimination of 350 metric tons of plastic
annually. Additionally, the product packaging is made fromrecycle-ready flow wrap film with 30% post-consumer
recycled content. Kimberly-Clark continued existing
partnerships with a number of global organizations that
focus on reducing diaper waste and diverting productwaste streams.
Kimberly-Clark is commercializing reusable menstrual
underwear and reusable swim diapers for babies, aiming
to displace single-use products. The company does nothave reuse programs for its packaging.

KIMBERLY-CLARK OVERVIEW AND GOALS
Kimberly-Clark is a global consumer packaged goods

complex and challenging undertaking that requires

manufacturer that is known for its essential brands

incorporation of systems thinking, strategic partner-that include Huggies®, Kleenex®, Cottonelle®, Depend®,

ships, and collaboration from sourcing through to

and Andrex . Driven by the company’s purpose to

end-of-life. Five goals support this ambition:®

deliver Better Care for a Better World and its global
ambition to uplift the lives of 1 billion people invulnerable and underserved communities by 2030,
Kimberly-Clark aspires to develop innovative materials
and alternatives to traditional plastics while supporting
the development of the circular economy.
The company’s strategic focus includes three key areas:
Packaging, Product, and Circular Systems.
Kimberly-Clark is committed to reducing its plastics
footprint by 50% by 2030 through reductions, renewables, and recycled substitutes, or by introducing
reusable products or circular solutions. This is a32

• 100% of packaging will be reusable, recyclable, orcompostable by 2025
• 20% average recycled content across plastic
packaging by 2025
• 50% footprint reduction in new, fossil-fuel-based
plastics by 2030 from a 2019 base year
• 75% of material in products will be either biodegradable or recovered and recycled by 2030
• 100% of manufacturing waste diverted from landfill
to beneficial uses by the end of 2022

Figure 18 Kimberly-Clark Pie Charts
FIGURE 18. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of Kimberly-Clark’s plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsForm

Polymer

Recycled
content 3%
Other
rigid
13%

PP
13%
Other
ﬂexible
14%

PET
14%
LDPE
73%

Mono-materialﬁlm 73%

Virgin content
97%

FIGURE 19. Use of sustainable inputs in Kimberly-Clark’s plastic portfolio from 2019 to 2022.

Figure 19 Kimberly-Clark Sustainable Inputs

30%

25%

20%

15%

20%

10%

5%
1.2%
0%

1.2%

1.9%

2.5%

3.1%

2.7%

2019

2020

2021

2022

■ Recycled content

2025 Target■ Biobased content (resp. sourced)

33

McDonald’s Corporation
The data provided by McDonald’s Corporation coverconsumer-facing primary plastic packaging in 22 countries
representing more than 85% of the company’s global
plastic usage. Prepackaged items, operational packaging,transport packaging, and Happy Meal® toys are out of
scope for this assessment. The reported data cover theperiod January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.
Key changes to McDonald’s Corporation’s portfolio include:• McDonald’s use of recycled content increased from
0.8% in 2021 to 1.3% in 2022, and biobased content
increased from 2.0% in 2021 to 2.9% in 2022.
• Small plastics accounted for 7.3% of the portfolio in
2022. This is a decrease from 10.7% in 2021.
• Since eliminating polystyrene foam packaging in 2018,
McDonald’s has continued to reduce its use of non-foam
rigid polystyrene, from 17.0% of the portfolio in 2021 to
16.1% in 2022.
INSIGHTS ON MCDONALD’S CORPORATION’S PROGRESS
McDonald’s is focusing on removing virgin fossil fuel-based
plastics and reducing small plastics, as well as prioritizing
the redesign of packaging to utilize recycled plastic and to

be more recyclable. In 2022, many markets made efforts to
reduce plastic by redesigning items such as switching topaper-based straws, deploying new McFlurry cups without
plastic lids, and introducing salad boxes and cutlery madefrom renewable fiber. As McDonald’s strives to meet its
global goals, they are working with suppliers to test newtechnologies that can scale globally. The company also
continued engagement in key partnerships to increase
recycling and supply for recycled content. In 2022, morethan 85% of restaurants in 21 markets12 offered guests theopportunity to recycle packaging items. By the end of 2022,
McDonald’s was approximately 81% of the way toward its
goal to source primary guest packaging from renewable,
recycled, or certified sources by the end of 2025.
McDonald’s is continuing to implement reusable tablewareand reusable packaging across many markets, to comply
with the relevant local reuse laws. For example, in 2022,
McDonald’s South Korea offered reusable cups for cold
drinks nationwide to comply with legislative requirements
and served approximately 25% of all dine-in beveragesales in reusables. In certain pilot markets around theworld, including specific regions of Canada and Australia,
McDonald’s offers customers the opportunity to “BringYour Own” cup.

MCDONALD’S CORPORATION OVERVIEW AND GOALSWith more than 40,000 locations in more than 100
countries, McDonald’s is the world’s leading global
foodservice retailer. Approximately 95% of McDonald’s
restaurants worldwide are owned and operated byindependent local business owners.
McDonald’s purpose is to feed and foster communities,
and the company is committed to protecting the planetfor communities today and in the future. The company
is driving climate action and accelerating circularsolutions to help keep waste out of nature, including
testing new packaging and recycling solutions aroundthe globe to help reduce packaging, switching to moresustainable materials, and helping customers recycle.
The majority of McDonald’s global packaging portfolio
by weight is sustainable fiber (78%), with the remaining
comprised of plastics (22%).

34

In partnership with our Franchisees, suppliers, andproducers, we’re finding innovative ways to reduce
emissions, help keep waste out of nature, and preserve
natural resources. McDonald’s uses its global scale toaccelerate a circular economy and has made thefollowing key commitments related to the data
disclosed in this report:
1. Source 100% of McDonald’s primary guest packaging13
from renewable, recycled, or certified sources by 2025.
This includes our 2020 interim goal to source 100% ofprimary fiber-based guest packaging from recycled orcertified sources where no deforestation occurs, which
was substantially achieved as of year-end 2020.
2. By the end of 2025, McDonald’s will implement global
and local solutions across its business to advance thereduction, reuse, or recycling of guest packaging andhelp create demand for recycled materials.

Figure 20 McDonald’s Pie Charts
FIGURE 20. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of McDonald’s plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsBiobased content(other) 3%

Form
Recycled
content 1%

Other ﬂexible 5%

Polymer
PLA 1%

Small plastics
7%

HDPE 3%
PET 4%

Mono-materialﬁlm 11%

Virgin content
96%

LDPE
11%
PS
16%

PP
65%

Other rigid
77%

FIGURE 21. Use of sustainable inputs in McDonald’s plastic portfolio from 2018 to 2022.

Figure 21 McDonald’s Sustainable Inputs

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%
0.1%

0.7%

2.6%

1.5%

0.9%

2018

2019

2020

0%

■ Recycled content

0.6%

2.0%

2.9%
0.8%

2021

1.3%
2022

■ Biobased content (other)35

Procter & Gamble (P&G)
Since joining ReSource, P&G has provided data that cover

the company’s plastic packaging portfolio as reported in

the company’s consumer-facing plastic packaging for

its annual Citizenship report for 2019–2021.

countries in each region that total 80% of sales in theregion. This approach enabled P&G to meet the country

Over the next year, P&G will seek to find a solution thatspecific data reporting requirements of ReSource andallows the company to submit its full portfolio data in theparticipate in the report. A P&G analysis showed that theformat required by ReSource. In the interim, P&G continues

reported subset of data to ReSource is accurate, yet it

to publicly report data on total plastic packaging use anddoes not fully represent the company’s total plastic

progress via its ESG Portal and in its Citizenshippackaging portfolio or the progress achieved toward its

Report annually.

packaging goals. The reporting also resulted in minor
discrepancies in average PCR levels in the ReSource datasubset and the P&G overall corporate results. For clarity
and consistency, Figure 23 and Appendix B have been

Secondary and tertiary packaging are out of scope for thisassessment. The reported data cover the period July 1,
2021, through June 30, 2022.

updated with the total percentage of recycled content in

PROCTER & GAMBLE OVERVIEW AND GOALS
P&G serves consumers around the world, with brands
including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®,
Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®,Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®,Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®,
and Whisper®. P&G operates in approximately
70 countries worldwide.

• Lifecycle Thinking: Plastic packaging can drive
significant and meaningful benefits such as productprotection, consumer safety, and GHG emission
benefits. As we assess packaging material and design
choices that drive greater circularity, we are careful
to look at full life cycle implications to help guide ourchoices and avoid unintended consequences.

At P&G we believe we can unlock more worth frompackaging materials, long after their first use. We areinventing and partnering to help build a more circular
future to reduce waste and reuse packaging
and materials.

• Waste Management Hierarchy: We subscribe to thewaste management hierarchy and seek to progress
our efforts toward the higher-order and preferredsolutions within the hierarchy, starting with source
reduction and reuse.

P&G’s Ambition 2030 packaging goals include:• Collaboration: The challenge of plastic waste is bigger
than any one company, and we believe collaboration
across the value chain, civil society, and governments
will be key to driving solutions at scale. That is one of
the reasons why we joined ReSource: Plastic—it
represents an opportunity to work with WWF andindustry leaders seeking to drive reporting tools that
can help better inform where strategic interventions
are needed. We believe partnerships are critical totransform how packaging materials are used, reused,
and renewed in a circular economy. Our innovation
teams are developing alternative materials, newprocessing, and emerging forms that can reduce
waste and deliver a lower environmental footprint
across the entire product lifecycle.

• 100% of our consumer packaging will be designed tobe recyclable or reusable by 2030
• Decreasing our use of virgin petroleum plastic
packaging by 50% compared to a 2017 baseline
We’re designing our product packaging with lessplastic, more recycled content, alternative materials,
and to be more easily recyclable. We integrate consumer research and scientific, lifecycle thinking about
environmental impacts to guide our design decisions
and material selection, from sourcing to next use. As
we advance progress toward these goals, we are
guided by three overarching principles:36

Figure 22 Procter & Gamble Pie Charts
FIGURE 22. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of P&G’s plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsForm
Recycled
content 11%

Polymer
Mono-materialﬁlm 5%PS 1%

PETG 1%LLDPE 4%
Other 7%

Closure11%

Virgin content
89%

Bottle
48%

LDPE
8%
HDPE
36%

Other
ﬂexible
14%

PET
21%

Other rigid
21%

PP
22%

Figure 23 Proctor & Gamble Sustainable Inputs
FIGURE 23. Use of post-consumer recycled content in P&G’s plastic portfolio from 2019 to 2022.
30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%
6.3%

9.0%

7.4%

10.7%

0%
2019

2020

2021

2022

■ Recycled content

37Key changes to P&G’s portfolio include:at scale. Shifting to sustainable inputs remains anotherpriority, with P&G successfully executing the replacement• P&G’s use of recycled content was 10.7% in 2022, basedof plastic tubs in Europe for Ariel single dose detergent

on the subset of data reported to ReSource. Based on

and fabric conditioner beads with pulp-based boxes andP&G’s total reported resin use, the company’s average

packaging. The company continues to replace plastic

PCR content in 2022 was 12.4%.

blister packaging with pulp-based carton packaging for• The share of bottles in the portfolio decreased from
56.1% in 2021 to 48.2% in 2022.
• Flexibles increased from 12.7% of the portfolio in 2021
to 19.6% in 2022, including an increase in mono-material films from 0.0% in 2021 to 5.2% in 2022.
INSIGHTS ON PROCTER & GAMBLE’S (P&G)
PROGRESS
A continued focus for P&G has been designing consumer
packaging to be recyclable at scale. The company’s brands
have glidepaths to redesign their currently non-recyclable
packaging to materials and formats that will be recyclable

38

Gillette blades and razors across the globe. Currently P&G
averages close to 30% recycled content in the EU with PET
at levels close to 50% recycled resin.
On reuse, P&G’s Home and Surface care have had
success with reusable trigger bottles and triggerless
bottle refills, such as Dawn Powerwash. The company
also has several brands participating in a pilot with Loopto explore the return from home model. Alongside othercompanies, P&G is funding the initial work of the Consumer Goods Forum Refill & Reuse collaboration todefine the cities, models, and product categories for
scalable, industry-level solutions.

Starbucks Coffee Company
The data provided by Starbucks cover plastic from direct
operations and retail stores globally, including licensed
stores. Reporting includes secondary and tertiary packaging. The company’s non-store operations and consumer
packaged goods business are out of scope for thisassessment. The reported data cover the period October
4, 2021, through October 2, 2022.
While Starbucks reported data for 2018, which is includedin the aggregate ReSource data for that year, the company
made significant improvements to its inventory methodology the following year and therefore uses 2019 as its
baseline for tracking individual progress.
Key changes to Starbucks portfolio include:• Recycled content increased from 4.6% in 2021 to 6.6%

INSIGHTS ON STARBUCKS PROGRESSTo shift to more sustainable inputs, Starbucks launched a
new hot cup in 2022 with 30% post-consumer recycledcontent, 25% less plastic in the liner, FSC-certified fiber,
and up to 7–9% lightweighted depending on cup size. This
launched in 20% of Starbucks markets with a full rollout
expected by early 2025. The company also transitioned to100% rPET Ethos water bottles in the U.S. and Canada
during the reporting period. As part of its commitment tohelp eliminate problematic or unnecessary packaging,
Starbucks plans to eliminate PS, PVC, PVDC, and undetectable carbon black from its plastic packaging by 2025.
In 2022, Starbucks continued expanding its efforts tomake reusable cups available and convenient for customers. The company piloted reusable or returnable cup

in 2022, and biobased content increased from 1.6% in

programs through 20 tests globally. The company remains

2021 to 4.8% in 2022.

on track to meet its goal of ensuring customers have the• PP makes up the majority of Starbucks portfolio at
59.2%, up from 56.7% in 2021.
• The share of flexibles increased from 10.3% in 2021 tooption to use their own personal reusable cup for every
Starbucks visit in the U.S. and Canada—including in café,
drive-thru, and through mobile order and pay.

14.8% in 2022.

STARBUCKS OVERVIEW AND GOALS
Aligning with its organizational vision, Starbucks is• Water: 50% of water withdrawal will be conserved or

looking ahead with a heightened sense of urgency andreplenished across our direct operations, stores,

conviction that we must challenge ourselves, thinkpackaging, and agricultural supply chain frombigger, and do much more in partnership with others

FY19 base year.

to take care of the planet we share. In January 2020,
we announced our commitment to pursue a bold,
multi-decade aspiration to become resource positiveand give more than we take from the planet.
Starbucks has set targets for 2030:• Carbon: 50% absolute reduction in scope 1, 2, and 3
greenhouse gas emissions representing all ofStarbucks’ direct operations and value chain from
FY19 base year.

• Waste: 50% reduction in waste sent to landfill fromstores (including packaging that leaves stores) anddirect operations from FY19 base year, driven by abroader shift toward a circular economy.
This is an aspiration that we take on recognizing it will
come with challenges and will require transformationalchange. We also know that leadership in sustainability
takes commitment, investment, innovation, and partnership, and so we are excited to work with WWF and the
ReSource: Plastic Members to reduce plastic waste.

39

Figure 24 Starbucks Pie Charts
FIGURE 24. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of Starbucks plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsResponsibly sourced
biobased content 5%

Form

Polymer
Small plastics
2%

Recycled
content 7%

PS 1%

LDPE 2%
PHA 2%
PLA 3%

Other
ﬂexible15%

Virgin content
89%

HDPE
12%

Closure15%

Other rigid
48%

PP
59%

PET
21%

Bottle20%

FIGURE 25. Use of sustainable inputs in Starbucks plastic portfolio from 2019 to 2022.

Figure 25 Starbucks Sustainable Inputs

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

4.8%
0.7%

0.9%
1.6%

5%
5.6%

5.6%

2019

2020

4.6%

6.6%

0%

■ Recycled content

40■ Biobased content (other)

2021

2022

■ Biobased content (resp. sourced)

The Coca-Cola Company
The data provided by The Coca-Cola Company cover

Key changes to The Coca-Cola Company’s

consumer-facing plastic packaging for all The Coca-Cola

portfolio include:

Company’s operating units and franchise bottlers.
Secondary packaging, tertiary packaging, beverage
cartons, fountain cups, and packaging items with volumes
over 3 liters or 3 kilograms are out of scope for thisassessment. The reported data cover the period January
1, 2022, through December 31, 2022.

• In 2022, 14.9% of The Coca-Cola Company’s plastic
portfolio was recycled content, an increase from
13.6% in 2021.
• PET bottles made up 99.9% of The Coca-Cola Company’s
plastic portfolio, a slight decrease from 2021.
• Flexibles, which consist of LDPE pouches, made up
0.1% of The Coca-Cola Company’s plastic portfolio, aslight increase from 2021.

THE COCA-COLA COMPANY OVERVIEW AND GOALSThe Coca-Cola Company’s vision of a World Without
Waste guides their approach to this topic. The
company works to reduce the impact of packaging
waste on the environment through innovation andpartnerships with bottling partners, NGOs, regulators,
retailers, local communities, and competitors. The
development of more complete data and metrics has
been critical to advancing this work. In 2018, The
Coca-Cola Company established three fundamental goals:

In 2021, The Coca-Cola Company added the goal to:
4. Reduce use of virgin plastic derived from
non-renewable sources by a cumulative 3 million
metric tons by 2025.
In early 2022, The Coca-Cola Company announced anindustry-leading goal to significantly boost its use of
reusable packaging:
5. By 2030, the company aims to have at least 25% of
all beverages globally by volume across its portfolio

1. Make 100% of their consumer packaging recyclableof brands sold in refillable/returnable glass or

globally by 2025 —and use at least 50% recycledplastic bottles, or in refillable containers throughmaterial in their packaging by 2030.

traditional fountain or Coca-Cola Free-*

2. Collect and recycle a bottle or can for each one
sold by 2030.
3. Bring people together to support a healthy,
debris-free environment.

style dispensers.
Underlying these goals is the need for more inclusive
collection rates for all consumer packaging, stronger
accounting of plastic packaging that reflects thebreakdown of packaging by units sold, and the use of
more inclusive metrics to drive progress toward
stated goals.

* Includes select primary consumer packaging materials.

41

Figure 26 The Coca-Cola Company Pie Charts
FIGURE 26. Inputs, form, and polymer distribution of The Coca-Cola Company’s reported plastic portfolio in 2022.

InputsForm

Polymer

Bottle
100%

PET
100%

Recycled
content 15%

Virgin content
85%

Figure 27 The Coca Cola Company Sustainable Inputs
FIGURE 27. Use of sustainable inputs in The Coca-Cola Company’s plastic portfolio from 2018 to 2022.
30%

25%

20%

15%

0.4%

0.1%

0.1%
10%

5%

1.5%

0.1%

1.7%

8.7%

9.3%

2018

2019

11.2%

13.6%

14.9%

0%

■ Recycled content

42

2020

■ Biobased content (other)

2021

2022

■ Biobased content (resp. sourced)

INSIGHTS ON THE COCA-COLA COMPANY’SPROGRESSThe Coca-Cola Company is investing in ways to innovate its
packaging to help improve recyclability. The company haslaunched label-less bottles across a range of brands inJapan, South Korea, Switzerland, and China. Bottles withtethered caps, which enable bottles and caps to be moreeasily collected together for recycling, are being piloted forthe company’s entire portfolio in Germany, Bulgaria, andItaly. The company also continues to transition Sprite
plastic bottles from green to clear PET, which is either
completed or in process in over 100 countries. In 2022,
The Coca-Cola Company began offering the majority of

Last year, The Coca-Cola Company announced a global
reusable packaging goal: by 2030 the company aims tohave at least 25% of its beverages by volume sold inrefillable/returnable glass or plastic bottles or in fountaindispensers with reusable packaging. Globally, The
Coca-Cola Company continues to test and scale returnable
glass bottle (RGB) and reusable PET pilot programs,
including in parts of Europe, Latin America, South Africa,and parts of China. One example is in the United States,
where a 500 ml RGB pilot program in approximately 100
retail and foodservice outlets in El Paso, Texas, generated
a 75% return rate, encouraging the company to explore
expansion capabilities in 2023.

DASANI bottles in 100% rPET* plastic in the United States
and Canada, launched 100% rPET* Coca-Cola bottles inViet Nam, and achieved its goal of 50% recycled material
use in Japan.

* Excluding caps and labels.

@ Shutterstock / Piotr Krzeslak

43

@ Shutterstock / Syda Productions

Maximize
Recommendations for Action
Building on the findings from past years of reporting, this section reflects on the action taken
between our inaugural report and now. As with previous Transparent reports, progress isuneven—yet the focal recommendations identified in years past remain largely relevant today.
The following updates therefore intend to pull forward the most successful strategies andreplicable results from the past four years of reporting, with the dual goals of informing future
progress and applying key learnings that will maximize impact.

44

ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY PLASTIC THROUGH
BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION, REDUCTION,
AND SUBSTITUTION

Realizing the Potential of Reuse

The elimination of unnecessary, single-use plastic is thesystems that deliver value to people and reduced

most important action that companies can take to directly
address the plastic pollution crisis through their own
portfolios. This year, five ReSource Members had absoluteincreases in their total plastic use compared to theirbaseline, and four had absolute reductions. How thisinformation should be interpreted is a complex question.
Today, total volumes of plastic use are affected bymacroeconomic influences (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic)
as well as sales growth or shrink. However, ultimately, it’s
important for companies to decouple their plastic use
from their business growth and achieve absolute reductions in plastic. Therefore, it’s difficult to draw concreteconclusions from total plastic volume alone. Considering
additional measures, like reuse efforts, use of sustainable
inputs, and design changes to eliminate problematic
plastic can help create a more robust, but still imperfect,

New business models such as reuse are a key opportunity to reduce overall plastic usage and create circularimpacts to nature. Scaling reuse is a transformative andhigh-impact but challenging strategy for businesses todeploy. All nine ReSource Members are currently exploring reuse models in some capacity, but many efforts arestill limited to pilot scale. Breaking through this pilot
phase to deliver permanent and scaled reuse systems isa key challenge across many sectors that must be
addressed over the next five years.
This year, ReSource collected reporting information onreuse systems from Members for the first time. Overall, thisis a complex topic that most Members were tackling for the
first time, and as a result the collected information was lesscomplete than in other areas. While this limits the insightsthat can be pulled from the information, it’s worth reflecting
on what was learned and what the process itself canpicture of progress on reduction efforts overall.

provide insight on. A lesson learned from this process isProblematic and Unnecessary Plastic

especially when it comes to the critical measure of quantify-

Previous Transparent reports have identified problematicand unnecessary plastics as a critical opportunity forcompanies to reduce their plastic tonnage, and thisrecommendation remains true moving forward. Problematic plastics are for the purposes of this report
defined as polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), andsmall plastics less than 2 inches in two dimensions. They
can contain hazardous chemicals, hinder or disrupt therecyclability or compostability of other items, and/or
have a high likelihood of leaking into the environment—
thus presenting a strategic target for companies toeliminate from their portfolios. Many of these plastics
can also be considered unnecessary in that they can be
avoided or replaced by alternative materials or reusemodels while maintaining utility. Overall, ReSource
Members have made progress to reduce problematic
plastics—in 2018, these products made up 3.2% ofMember portfolios, and by 2022 this percentage had
been cut by more than half (to 1.2%). However, thisprogress slowed in the past two reporting years, as
Members have already addressed the easiest andhighest-volume problematic plastics in their portfolios.
What remains in this category may require dedicatedinnovation, investment, or an overall system shift (e.g., toa different delivery model) to be fully addressed.

that measuring reuse is easier in some sectors than others,
ing a reuse system’s contribution to the overall portfolio.
Beverage companies, for example, have the advantage of aclear functional unit or serving size that can be applied
across their whole portfolio, and that offers a clear pictureof the extent to which reuse systems contribute to theiroverall product delivery. Other sectors and those withmore diverse portfolios face a more challenging puzzle
when it comes to measurement. Colgate-Palmolive, forexample, was able to report a quantitative number at the
product-category level, which is a good place to start whena unifying, portfolio-wide metric is not easily determined.
The Coca-Cola Company and Colgate-Palmolive were theonly two ReSource Members to report quantitative metrics
on reuse, with all other Members providing qualitative
information on their offerings and pilots, and someMembers, notably Starbucks, having done extensive work
piloting reuse. The challenges experienced by companies incollecting and reporting data on reuse highlights the needfor consistent guidance on reuse measurement approaches and metrics, such as those being developed
through the World Economic Forum’s Consumers Beyond
Waste initiative, to ensure that reuse is being implemented
effectively. Moving forward, we hope to see Member
actions continue to move from piloting to deployment on
reuse, and to see more quantitative information available
at both the product category and portfolio levels.
45

SHIFTING TO SUSTAINABLE INPUTS FORREMAINING PLASTIC
Increasing the use of recycled content is key to building
circular systems for plastic and incentivizing its collection
and recycling. Among ReSource Members, the use ofrecycled content has increased from 10.2% of theaggregate portfolio in 2021 to 12.0% in 2022. Some
Members made significant strides to drive this increase,especially those well positioned to take advantage of thehigh recycling rates of PET bottles; notably, Keurig Dr
Pepper’s individual use of post-consumer recycledcontent reached 17.7% in 2022, helped by the conversion of all Core Hydration and 16-ounce Snapple
products to bottles made from 100% recycled PET.
Similarly, the Coca-Cola Company also grew its share ofrecycled content to 14.9% by offering the majority of
DASANI bottles in 100% recycled PET* plastic in the U.S.
and Canada and launching 100% recycled PET*
Coca-Cola bottles in Viet Nam.
As outlined in previous reports, the availability of recycledmaterials does not match the demand set by companies
to meet their sustainability goals. Addressing the incentive
structure keeping virgin fossil-based plastic inexpensive
and easier to source remains a key barrier to progress
and will require action beyond corporate actors. Despite
limited supply, there are still several ways for companies
to make progress, including allocating a budget to pay a
premium for recycled content, including PCR in internal
performance targets, and engaging with governments onpolicies that will improve recycling rates and access torecycled content.14 Collaborative efforts across key
markets and on specific materials are beginning to impact
availability of recycled material, providing a proof point forthis work’s value in reaching recycled content goals.
Meanwhile, biobased content continues to make up lessthan one percent of Members’ portfolios. The latest
2022 data shows biobased content comprised 0.3% of
overall plastic footprint, only a marginal increase from
0.2% in 2021. However, 21% of all small plastics (such as
straws, utensils, and coffee stirrers) reported in 2022
were made from biobased content, primarily PHA, andwere also compostable. This statistic could imply thatwhen companies have been unable to eliminate the useof their small plastics, they are instead shifting tosustainable inputs to make these products.
* Excluding caps and labels.

46

Overall, the factors contributing to the slow growth in
the use of biobased content remain the same as inprevious years. It is largely due to fluctuations in theprice and availability of biobased materials and influenced by the lead time necessary to bring innovations
into production. Responsibly sourced biobased plastic is
important to the long-term strategies of several ReSource
Members; notably, biobased plastic has a role to play inapplications where there is not currently a clear path tobe able to use recycled content. It will also be critical ininstances when the properties of a novel biobased
plastic are advantageous—for example, when a package
would not be able to be recycled because of productcontamination but could be composted. However,biobased and compostable plastics, like all materials,
need to be paired with proper infrastructure, andcurrently industrial composting facilities that accept
compostable plastics are not available in muchof the world.
DOUBLING GLOBAL RECYCLING AND COMPOSTINGOF PLASTIC
Although the overall category of problematic plastic use
decreased in the 2022 reporting year, the volumes ofsome hard-to-recycle polymers like PVC and PS did
increase between 2021 and 2022. While expanded
polystyrene (EPS) has been virtually eliminated across all
ReSource Members, rigid PS accounts for about 1% of thetotal portfolio and the majority of remaining problematic
plastics. Eliminating hard-to-recycle polymers andcomponents is important for aligning portfolios with theanticipated future conditions of waste management
systems, bringing together design changes and broader
systems changes to achieve a common vision for a
future material system.
ReSource Members remain engaged in many collective
action efforts to scale collection and recycling of plastic,varying with each Member’s portfolio—matching theformats, geographies, and polymers that are most
relevant to them.
Increasing recycling of PP is an important priority forseveral ReSource Members. Since its launch, the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, led by The Recycling
Partnership and funded by ReSource Members Keurig
Dr Pepper and Procter & Gamble and members of theNextGen Consortium, including McDonald’s, Starbucks,
and The Coca-Cola Company, has awarded grants to 41
recycling facilities, increasing the amount of PP recovered in the U.S. by an estimated 42 million pounds
annually, and improved access to polypropylene
recycling for over 34 million Americans.
Another initiative to increase recycling in the U.S. focuseson PET bottles, the most common item in the ReSource
Members’ aggregate plastic footprint. ReSource has
engaged with the American Beverage Association (ABA),
which is strengthening community recycling programs
through its Every Bottle Back initiative to increase thecollection of PET bottles and decrease the industry’s useof virgin fossil-based plastic. The Every Bottle Back initia-

DATA IMPROVEMENT AND HARMONIZATION
After four years of data collection, ReSource: Plastic is
uniquely positioned to share key learnings on what does
and does not work in plastic footprint reporting. Repetition over several years of reporting allows us to both
recognize patterns in the data and isolate any irregularities, thus improving the analysis quality year over year.
By better understanding the story that the numbers
tell—with consideration to both the major reductions
and increases, but also the smaller details in between—
we can identify both progress drivers and barriers that
ReSource Members face and provide recommendations
informed by data.

tive is investing in improved recycling infrastructure andCorporate Plastic Footprint

consumer education in key areas of the country, with

Overall, progress is uneven, and several conflating

commitments to 42 communities to date that arefactors have complicated the way we interpret the data.

projected to yield 770 million more pounds of PET

Most notably, the COVID-19 pandemic has had aover 10 years.

profound impact on not just ReSource Member companies but companies around the globe, thus complicating

Collective action on composting systems has advanced

our ability to measure the success of ReSource interven-in recent years but remains less mature than on

tions against a rebounding economy. ReSource has tried

recycling, and the role of composting in addressing

to deploy additional contextual analysis, such as normal-

packaging waste is coming into sharper focus. Two

ization factors, to better interpret plastic footprintcollaborations in the U.S. have driven advancements:

information and parse what effects are caused by broad

Closed Loop Partners’ Composting Consortium and theeconomic conditions versus targeted sustainability

U.S. Plastics Pact’s composting workstream. In 2023,

efforts. Such measures have proven to be helpful in a

Closed Loop Partners’ Composting Consortium under-

limited way, but they are not sufficient to draw clear

took a joint study with the Biodegradable Products

conclusions, and they require that subjective choices be

Institute, Unpacking Labeling and Design: U.S. Consumer

made about what factor is most relevant to refer to.

Perception of Compostable Packaging, which offers data

Further alignment around normalization factors or otheron U.S. consumer perceptions of compostable packag-

metrics to help interpret the degree to which companies

ing, along with a complementary policy brief withare making progress in overall plastic reduction

recommendations on compostable packaging for U.S.

efforts is needed.

policymakers. The Composting Consortium continues
15

to identify priority steps to create a more resilient

It is important to recognize that there can be large

composting system in the U.S. by working with thedifferences in the amount of time it takes for various

composting industry, consumer goods manufacturers,

types of interventions to show up in the reported data.

brands and retailers, environmental groups, andDesign changes undertaken by a company can beacademics to pilot industry-wide solutions and build areflected in the data within a year or two, but collabora-

roadmap for investment in technologies and infrastruc-tive efforts focused on changing the broader system willture that enable the recovery of compostable foodtake longer, such as ABA’s Every Bottle Back initiative or

packaging and food scraps. The U.S. Plastics Pact’s

The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling

composting workstream is developing forthcoming

Coalition leading to more recycled content showing up in

guidance on the design of compostable packaging tocompanies’ portfolios. Similarly, it can take a long timeensure that compostable items brought to market alignfor improvements in country-level waste managementwith the developing organics collection and processing

systems to be reflected in our model results, as there issystem in the U.S.

often a lag of multiple years between when these data47

are collected and when they are published. For these

Waste Management Datareasons, it is important that disclosure frameworks

Availability of consistent and reliable waste management

collect not only quantitative data on companies’ current

data remains a limitation to drawing insights from

portfolios but also qualitative information about lon-

reporting results. Without good polymer- andger-term and potentially more impactful investments

form-specific data in the markets in which they operate,they are making that may take time to show results.

it is difficult for companies to know how to select ordesign the packaging options that are best suited for

Improvement in the quality of reporting from year to

local infrastructure. Without waste management data

year is also a confounding factor—as data collectionthat are updated and published in a timely manner, it is

becomes more sophisticated and companies gain morechallenging to know whether collective action efforts areexperience in the nuances of reporting, it is inevitable

having the desired effect. However, more datasets arethat more plastic is found to be counted. While addi-

slowly becoming available, such as through the Plastic

tional contextualization may be needed to properly read

Footprint Network, and mandatory national reporting on

how this impacts the larger picture, this data still holds

waste flows and leakage under the forthcoming global

inherent value to help us understand more specifictreaty would be a major step in ensuring consistent andtrends, such as the increase of sustainable inputs or the

reliable data.16

reduction of problematic plastics.
These learnings can be applied to accelerate progress
Therefore, as reporting becomes more common andtoward more standardized reporting. Accurate, harmo-

widespread, we postulate that it will be common for

nized measurement is critical to understanding, andcompanies’ plastic volumes to show an increase

thus solving, the plastic pollution crisis. Previously,

between the first few years of reporting, because of

ReSource has called for collaboration to fill key data gaps

increasing comprehensiveness of reporting data. It’sand improve data confidence levels. As the list ofimportant to be able to separate changes caused bystakeholders interested in understanding the state ofreporting improvements (e.g., plastic volume that was

the plastic waste crisis expands to include investors,

always in existence but that was not previously counted)

financial institutions, and policymakers, this call to action

from true increases in plastic use, and to update

is more relevant than ever. Since last year, key collabora-

baseline information accordingly. This means thattions on this topic have been launched that have thereporting systems should account for this need andpotential to greatly advance progress on this topic, as

provide the tools and options necessary to easily parse

discussed in the next section.

this information and update baselines. Indeed, in
ReSource we have already encountered Members’
needing to update their baseline year of reference
because of this issue.

48

@ naturepl.com / Sue Daly / WWF49

@ Shutterstock / Inside Creative House

Multiply
Collaborating for Change
ReSource aims to multiply impact by strategically aligning and converging efforts across platforms
to match action to the scale of the plastic waste crisis. Since the publication of Transparent 2020,
ReSource has aligned with several key initiatives to harmonize efforts and drive scale, prioritizing
issues identified as needing collective action to overcome barriers to change.
SCALING MEASUREMENT AND DISCLOSURE
An exciting development for harmonized measurement this year is the expansion of CDP’s
environmental disclosure platform to include plastics through the Scaling Plastics Disclosure
initiative in partnership with The Pew Charitable Trusts, Minderoo Foundation, and the Ellen
MacArthur Foundation. On behalf of their 740+ investor signatories worth US$136 trillion in
assets, CDP requested nearly 7,000 companies across all sectors and regions to disclose
information about their plastic-related targets, activities, risk exposure, and impacts.17

50

WWF has recently joined the Steering Committee of the
Scaling Plastics Disclosure initiative and will use theexperience gained through ReSource: Plastic to inform thecontinued development and expansion of CDP’s plastic
questionnaire. ReSource Members have committed toproviding feedback to continue to develop the survey
questions, metrics, and guidance given their leadershipand experience in corporate plastic disclosure. As the
CDP questionnaire becomes increasingly robust andcomprehensive, our intent is for it to replace the mandatory annual reporting for ReSource Members that currently
occurs through the ReSource Footprint Tracker.
Alignment around a standardized corporate reporting
process on plastic is something ReSource has beenworking toward since its inception, and CDP’s platform
has the ability to reach the number of companies that isneeded to address the scale of the problem. With over
20,000 organizations worth half of global market capitalization already disclosing environmental data through its
platform, CDP plastic disclosure will rapidly scale plastic-related disclosure across the global economy andreduce the reporting burden for companies.
For corporate plastic disclosure to drive meaningfulaction to address plastic pollution, companies need toreport not only on how much and what kinds of plastic
they are putting on the market but also on the resulting
waste and leakage that is being generated. This requires
the development of accounting methodologies, analogous to the GHG Protocol for quantifying and reportingon GHG emissions, to enable companies to report on
the waste management outcomes of their plastic waste
in a credible way. The ReSource Footprint Tracker offers
one such methodology, and WWF is actively participatingin the Plastic Footprint Network (PFN), led by EA – Earth
Action, to drive alignment around and more widespreaduse of data and methodologies for assessing plastic fate
and leakage.
As additional reporting efforts arise, it is critical that theybuild upon existing work to create convergence andalignment rather than duplicating efforts and/or proliferating methods that may not be compatible with one
another. Building on current work avoids costly duplication, leverages the learnings from leaders and early
adopters, and provides value and feasibility proof points
to those being asked to participate in these systems.

POLICY AND REGULATION
Implementation of effective policy is one of the mostimportant levers to transform our material system, andadvocacy for effective policy is emerging as a key
strategy to overcome the inertia of the status quo andchange incentives in a way that enables transformationalchange. It has become increasingly clear that companies
will need to pull this lever to be able to meet ambitious
sustainability goals on plastic. Furthermore, as momentum builds at both the international and national levels
around policy and regulation, there is a need to participate in and prepare for changed requirements andincentives.
In 2022, the United Nations voted in favor of a legallybinding resolution to address plastic pollution that isbeing drafted on an accelerated timeline and expected
to be enacted in 2025. This global treaty is an unprecedented opportunity for systemic transformation in thefight against plastic pollution. An agreement of thisstature could set important high-level frameworks fornational level reporting and disclosures, drive innovationand infrastructure development, and coordinate
collective action from countries around the world. A
legally binding treaty would also help companies
advance their sustainability commitments by driving thebroader system change that companies cannot undertake on their own. Existing voluntary efforts areconstrained by the dominance of a broken system anduneven playing field where only leaders take action. The
frameworks set out by a treaty could enable newconditions that would allow these existing voluntary
initiatives to be more successful—paving the way forcompanies to set the bar of action even higher andmobilizing additional actors through mandatory measures. As the United Nations currently undergoes
negotiations through 2024 that will determine what will
and will not fall into the treaty’s scope, now is the time
for all stakeholders to advocate for an ambitious andpractical agreement that both meets the level ofambition needed to address the plastic crisis at scaleand can be executed in alignment with existing sustainability goals. To be successful, the final treaty must target
the plastics that are either most prone to leaking into
nature or cause the most harm once leaked, such as
microplastics, single-use plastics, and discarded fishingnets (i.e., ghost gear).18 WWF is calling on businesses to51

join this call to action, leveraging their immense influ-

nation toward a circular economy. The ReSource

ence to demonstrate that the corporate world is

Footprint Tracker is being used as the U.S. Plastics Pact’s

committed to realizing a world without plastic in nature.

measurement tool for annual progress tracking of its

In 2022, WWF convened the Business Coalition for amore than 100 organizations, setting a path forward to

Global Plastics Treaty in partnership with the Ellenmeet four ambitious targets by 2025. In early 2023, theMacArthur Foundation. This coalition continues to bring

Pact released its second annual report, measuring

together more than 100 businesses and financial

progress against these targets. Beginning in 2022, theinstitutions in advocacy for an ambitious final treaty that

ReSource Footprint Tracker has also been employed bywill deliver the level of impact our planet needs.

the Canada Plastics Pact to measure year-over-year
progress for all Canada Plastics Pact Partners, broaden-

The need for engagement and advocacy on plastic policy

ing the Tracker’s uptake and increasing harmonization ofis echoed on the national and regional scale as well. In

reporting metrics across North America.

the European Union, the Proposal on Packaging andPackaging Waste (PPWR) is poised to change both

ReSource is committed to advancing the uptake of reuserequirements and incentives, and in the United States,

through key collaborations, such as the Reuse Portal,

extended producer responsibility (EPR) is being consid-

which was publicly launched in May 2023. Facilitated byered in several states. Both have the potential to realignthe Global Plastic Action Partnership, the Reuse Portal isembedded barriers to change that have been en-a one-stop-shop collaboration platform that aims totrenched for decades. Engagement and advocacy are

scale reuse solutions that address plastic pollution,needed to realize national policies that result in reduced

providing practical guidance, tools, and networks toplastic waste and avoid trade-offs in order to deliver

businesses, policymakers, activists, and citizens. ReSource

environmental and social benefits while maintaining

also collaborates with Consumers Beyond Waste (CBW),

economic viability of solutions.

which works to advance more responsible models of
consumption for the benefit of business and society. As

In March 2023, WWF hosted the inaugural Plastic Policy

noted earlier, evaluating the success of reuse is challeng-

Summit, convening representatives from companies,

ing, as there is currently no consensus on how toNGOs, and local, state, and federal governments tomeasure, account for, or report on reusable packaging.

develop a plan of action for advancing a circular future in

CBW is committed to developing a reuse accounting

the U.S.—the major takeaways from this event wereframework, which will help companies understand thesubsequently published in the June 2023 report Plastic

impacts of reuse systems on their packaging portfolios

Policy Summit: Outcomes and Actions. The summit

and measure progress toward sustainability goals.

elaborated on the work of WWF’s OneSource Coalition,
which is supported by a group of signatories that

ReSource continues to hold a thought leadership

advocate for principles of national extended producer

partnership with the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA),

responsibility, environmental justice, and international

which enables ReSource to benefit from the BFA’s existing

leadership to reimagine our linear economies.

work to bring a science-based perspective to thesourcing of biobased plastic and its role in circular

VOLUNTARY COLLECTIVE ACTION

systems. The BFA’s Methodology for the Assessment of
Bioplastic Feedstocks was updated in February 2022 to

Beyond policy, ReSource continues to leverage thereflect updated science, integrate a climate resilience

ReSource Footprint Tracker within the U.S. Plastics Pactlens, and ensure the methodology is applicable toto scale transparent and consistent measurement ofemerging bioplastic feedstocks.

plastic packaging across the United States. The U.S.
Plastics Pact remains focused on bringing together
stakeholders across the value chain to implement
solutions that help ensure that plastic packaging can bereused, refilled, recycled, or composted and to shift the52

@ Magnus Lundgren / Wild Wonders of China / WWF

Conclusion
As the fourth installment of ReSource’s public report and the third progress report for our Principal Members,
Transparent 2023 is a proof point for the value of measurement in effectively addressing the plastic waste
crisis and a call to action for more collaboration to scale impact. While the results of Transparent 2023
highlight the significant impact that companies can have when they work to make changes within their own
portfolios, they also prove the need for larger systemic change. Collaborative action has moved the needle fortargeted interventions, but larger enabling frameworks will be needed to create global systemic change. To
solve the plastic pollution crisis at the scope and scale that the planet needs, action must be taken to address
the broken system that is at the root of the issue. By leveraging their immense influence, businesses canadvocate for smart plastic policy on the national and global levels that will drive the necessary system change
and allow their actions to have an even wider impact. In the meantime, companies should continue theirinternal work and begin designing their portfolios and business models in anticipation of a changing
plastic landscape.
The United Nations took a historic step in March 2022, when 175 member states voted in favor of a legallybinding global treaty to address plastic pollution. The next year of negotiations will determine the outcome of
the final draft; thus, we face a critical window of opportunity to move the dial on plastic pollution. WWF callson stakeholders from across the spectrum of the plastic crisis—including corporate leaders, small businesses,
heads of state, federal representatives, and individual people around the world—to join us in the call for anambitious treaty that will turn off the tap of plastic flowing into nature once and for all.

53

Glossary
Advanced Materials

Mono-material Film

Advanced materials are those that are sustainably

Mono-material film is a flexible material that contains

produced, mitigate climate change, and reduce the risk

only one polymer and no non-plastic materials and is notof fossil depletion. This term typically captures future

multilayered. It includes mono-material stretch andmaterials innovations that are currently in the design

shrink films and mono-material film bags and sacks thatstage or at a very small scale. We align with theare suited for recycling.

Roundtable for Sustainable Biomaterials’ Advanced
Products Standard.
BottleA bottle is a form of rigid packaging having a comparatively narrow neck or mouth with a closure andShrink Film
Shrink film is a plastic material that shrinks in size whenheated to conform to the item(s) packaged.
Source: ISO 21067: 2016

usually no handle.

Stretch Wrap

Source: ISO 21067: 2007

Stretch wrap is a material that elongates when applied

ClosureClosures include caps and closures that would be left on
containers going to recycling. Caps/closures that would
be disposed of separately from the primary container
would fall under small plastics (problematic to recycle asseparate components due to size).
Compostable
Packaging or a packaging component is compostable if it
is in compliance with relevant international compostability standards and if its successful post-consumer
collection, (sorting), and composting are proven to workin practice and at scale.
Source: EMF Global Plastics Commitment

Durable Goods

under tension and which, through elastic recovery,
conforms to item(s) packaged.
Source: ISO 21067:2016

Other Flexible
Other flexible includes multi-material/laminate films.
Other Rigid
The “other rigid” category is used to capture rigids thatare not classified as bottles, closures, foamed rigids, or
small plastics.
Recyclable
Packaging or a packaging component is recyclable if its
successful post-consumer collection, sorting, andrecycling are proven to work in practice and at scale. A
package is considered recyclable if its main packaging

Durable goods are products with a life span of threecomponents, together representing greater than 95% ofyears or more.

the entire packaging weight, are recyclable according to

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

this definition, and if the remaining minor components
are compatible with the recycling process and do not

Mismanaged Waste

hinder the recyclability of the main components.

We follow the definition of mismanaged waste outlined

Source: EMF Global Plastics Commitment

by Jambeck et al. (2015): “material that is either litteredor inadequately disposed.” Mismanaged waste typically
includes uncontrolled landfills and open dumps, wastethat is not collected, and waste that is littered. Thus, thisvalue is not how much plastic enters the ocean, butrather a potential volume that is not adequately
managed and has the potential to enter ecosystems.
54

Recycled Content

Unnecessary Plastic

Recycled content is post-consumer recycled content andUnnecessary plastic is plastic that, if not used, would notdoes not include pre-consumer recycled content.

create adverse environmental or social trade-offs related• Post-consumer recycled content is defined as the
proportion, by mass, of post-consumer recycledmaterial in a product or packaging.

to, for example, energy use, food waste, or quality of life.
Polymer Classification
List of Polymers for Single Use Plastics

Abbreviation

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer

ABS

Ethylene vinyl alcohol

EVOH

High-density polyethylene

HDPE

Responsibly Sourced Biobased Content

Low-density polyethylene

LDPE

Responsibly sourced biobased content, at a minimum:

Linear low-density polyethylene

LLDPE

1. Is legally sourced;

Nylon

Nylon

2. Is derived from renewable biomass and must pose

Other (specified in description)

Other

Polybutylene adipate terephthalate

PBAT

Polybutylene succinate

PBS

4. Provides environmental benefits.

Polybutylene succinate adipate

PBSA

Credible certifications such as the Roundtable on

Polycarbonate

PC

Sustainable Biomaterials certification can help ensure

Polyethylene furanoate

PEF

Polyethylene terephthalate

PET

content as constituting sustainable plastic inputs.

Polyethylene terephthalate glycol

PETG

Source: Bioplastics Feedstock Alliance (https://bioplasticfeedstockalliance.org/)

Polyhydroxyalkanoate

PHA

Polylactic acid

PLA

Polypropylene

PP

Polystyrene

PS

Polyvinyl chloride

PVC

Polyvinyl alcohol

PVOH• Pre-consumer recycled content is defined as material
diverted from the waste stream during a manufacturing process.
Source: ISO 14021:2016

no adverse impacts on food security;
3. Does not have negative impacts on land conversion,
deforestation, or critical ecosystems; andresponsible sourcing. Together, we consider responsibly
sourced biobased content and post-consumer recycled

Rigid Foam
Forms under the “rigid foam” category include rigid
products made from foamed polymers, typicallypolystyrene (PS).
Small Plastics
Small plastics are items smaller than 2 inches in two
dimensions that require testing to determine theappropriate APR recyclability category.
Source: The Association of Plastic Recyclers

Sustainable Plastic Inputs
Sustainable plastic inputs as referred to throughout thisreport include recycled content, responsibly sourced
biobased content, and advanced materials.

55

Appendix A
Normalization Factors
Most ReSource Members have chosen net sales or net

company’s revenues to increase despite the amount ofrevenues as their normalization factor, as this provides a

product being sold in plastic packaging remaining

standardized measure for tracking changes in a compa-

constant. Recent high rates of inflation could be one ofny’s sales. However, using a revenue-based

the factors contributing to the negative normalized

normalization factor has limitations in that it can bechanges in tonnages. As of 2022, all seven Members

influenced by other factors that are unrelated to theusing revenue-based normalization factors have had aamount of the company’s product being sold. For

reduction in their normalized tonnage relative to theirinstance, rising prices (i.e., inflation) or growth in busi-

baseline (Table A1).

ness units that don’t use plastic packaging could cause a

TABLE A1. C
 hanges in normalized total plastic tonnage since the baseline year for Members that reported
normalization factors based on net sales/revenue. See Appendix B for additional details.
2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Amcor

Baseline-11.3%-19.8%

Colgate-Palmolive

Baseline-8.7%-17.4%

Baseline-13.1%CVS Health
Keurig Dr Pepper

Baseline

*

-4.4%

-7.3%

-15.2%

Kimberly-Clark

Baseline-7.8%-26.0%-13.5%

Procter & Gamble

Baseline

-4.0%

-0.2%

-4.5%

Starbucks

Baseline

+2.2%

+3.5%

-5.2%

*Changes are calculated relative to 2019, as the normalization factor was unavailable for the baseline year.

56

McDonald’s and The Coca-Cola Company use units ofeliminated from a company’s portfolio, both the normal-

plastic packaging procured and number of plastic bottles

ization factor and the total tonnage would decrease,sold as their normalization factors, respectively. Unit-

potentially leading to no change in the normalizedbased normalization factors are directly related to thetonnage. Eliminating its problematic small plastics could

amount of packaging used and thereby avoid theactually cause the average weight of a company’s

challenges previously noted with revenue-based

remaining plastic to increase, thereby leading to an

normalization factors. However, given that they are

increase in the normalized tonnage. Shifting to heavier

effectively measuring the change in the average weightreusable packaging would have a similar effect. As ofof plastic per unit of packaging, unit-based normalization

2022, both Members using unit-based normalization

factors are not able to account for many of the solution

factors have had an increase in their normalized tonnage

levers to address plastic waste such as elimination,

relative to their baseline (Table A2).

substitution, or reuse. If a certain plastic item is

TABLE A2. C
 hanges in normalized total plastic tonnage since the baseline year for Members that reported
normalization factors based on units of packaging procured/sold. See Appendix B for additional details.
2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

McDonald’s

Baseline

*

+2.8%

+0.8%

+4.3%

The Coca-Cola Company

Baseline

+0.3%

+2.7%

+0.2%

+0.8%

*Changes are calculated relative to 2019, as the normalization factor was unavailable for the baseline year.

57Appendix B
TABLES B1-10. A
 ggregate results and individual ReSource Members’ results. Tonnages have been rounded to threesignificant figures.
Aggregate

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

3,560,000

4,360,000

6,830,000

7,200,000

7,260,000

4

6

8

9

9

Recycled content

7.8%

7.9%

8.0%

10.2%

12.0%

Biobased content (resp. sourced)

1.3%

1.3%

0.1%

0.2%

0.1%

Biobased content (other)

0.2%

0.1%

0.3%

0.1%

0.2%

Virgin content

90.7%

90.8%

91.6%

89.5%

87.8%

Bottle

82.6%

82.1%

67.7%

70.2%

70.5%

Closure

9.3%

3.9%

2.7%

1.5%

1.7%

Mono-material film

0.5%

2.2%

3.8%

5.2%

4.6%

Other flexible

0.6%

5.6%

17.6%

14.3%

13.8%

Other rigid

5.9%

5.6%

7.8%

8.4%

9.1%

Rigid foam

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

1.0%

0.7%

0.5%

0.5%

0.0%

HDPE

5.8%

3.4%

4.9%

5.3%

5.5%

LDPE

0.8%

6.1%

6.6%

14.5%

9.0%

LLDPE

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.4%

Other

0.1%

1.2%

13.2%

1.0%

7.7%

PET

82.9%

80.1%

65.0%

69.2%

67.8%

PETG

0.0%

0.5%

0.1%

0.1%

0.1%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

0.1%

0.1%

PP

7.6%

7.2%

9.2%

8.9%

8.3%

PS

2.4%

1.5%

1.0%

0.9%

1.0%

PVC

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Recycling

43.3%

42.2%

31.8%

33.5%

34.2%

6.6%

7.6%

9.2%

8.8%

8.8%

34.5%

34.6%

43.3%

42.6%

41.9%

15.6%

15.7%

15.7%

15.2%

15.2%

Total tonnage
Companies reporting

InputsForm

Polymer

Incineration
Waste
Management Landfill
Mismanagement58

Amcor

2020

2021

2022

2,360,000

2,370,000

2,160,000

-

+0.4%

-8.4%

$12.9B net sales$14.5B net sales$14.7B net sales--11.3%-19.8%

Recycled content

4.5%

5.6%

8.4%

Biobased content (resp. sourced)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Biobased content (other)

0.9%

0.0%

0.2%

Virgin content

94.6%

94.3%

91.5%

Bottle

44.5%

46.0%

46.4%

Closure

1.4%

0.6%

0.0%

Mono-material film

6.4%

11.0%

9.0%

Other flexible

42.7%

36.4%

37.5%

Other rigid

4.4%

5.5%

7.1%

Rigid foam

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

0.6%

0.6%

0.0%

HDPE

2.3%

2.3%

2.2%

LDPE

7.1%

32.8%

20.3%

LLDPE

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Other

36.0%

0.0%

22.1%

PET

44.4%

55.1%

47.2%

PETG

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PP

8.7%

8.3%

6.3%

PS

1.4%

1.4%

1.9%

PVC

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Total tonnage
TonnageChange in tonnage from 2020
Normalization factor
Normalized change in tonnage from 2020

InputsForm

Polymer59Colgate-Palmolive

2020

2021

2022

289,000

279,000

260,000

-

-3.4%

-9.9%

$16.5B net sales$17.4B net sales$18.0B net sales

-

-8.7%

-17.4%

Recycled content

10.5%

14.2%

14.7%

Biobased content (resp. sourced)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Biobased content (other)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Virgin content

89.5%

85.8%

85.3%

Bottle

51.6%

50.2%

46.1%

Closure

10.4%

9.8%

1.3%

Mono-material film

2.8%

3.9%

0.5%

Other flexible

18.3%

15.9%

15.1%

Other rigid

16.9%

20.3%

36.6%

Rigid foam

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Raw material

0.0%

0.0%

0.3%

HDPE

22.0%

22.8%

23.7%

LDPE

26.4%

27.5%

17.3%

LLDPE

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Other

3.6%

5.6%

14.8%

PET

30.9%

29.0%

29.1%

PETG

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PP

16.8%

14.9%

14.9%

PS

0.2%

0.2%

0.2%

PVC

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

Total tonnage
TonnageChange in tonnage from 2020
Normalization factor
Normalized change in tonnage from 2020

InputsForm

Polymer60

CVS Health

2021

2022

12,10011,600--4.0%$292.1B total revenues$322.5B total revenues--13.1%

Recycled content

1.6%

0.0%

Biobased content (resp. sourced)

0.0%

0.0%

Biobased content (other)

0.0%

0.0%

Virgin content

98.4%

100.0%

Bottle

71.9%

23.8%

Closure

0.8%

0.8%

Mono-material film

3.1%

1.9%

Other flexible

3.5%

27.3%

Other rigid

12.0%

46.2%

Rigid foam

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

1.8%

0.1%

Raw material

6.9%

0.0%

HDPE

19.1%

12.1%

LDPE

3.2%

4.3%

LLDPE

2.3%

0.1%

Other

7.0%

1.9%

PET

54.3%

40.5%

PETG

0.2%

0.0%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.0%

0.0%

PP

12.5%

36.1%

PS

0.4%

0.2%

PVC

1.1%

4.8%

Total tonnage
TonnageChange in tonnage from 2021
Normalization factor
Normalized change in tonnage from 2021

InputsForm

Polymer61

Keurig Dr Pepper

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

208,000

230,000

230,000

243,000

247,000

Change in tonnage
from 2018-+10.4%+10.3%+16.7%+18.4%

Normalization factor*$11.1B net
sales$11.6B net
sales$12.7B net
sales$14.1B net
sales

Normalized change intonnage from 2019

*

*

-4.4%

-7.3%

-15.2%

Recycled content

0.3%

0.4%

2.0%

11.5%

17.7%

Biobased content(resp. sourced)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Biobased content (other)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Virgin content

99.7%

99.6%

98.0%

88.5%

82.3%

Bottle

72.8%

64.4%

68.1%

75.2%

65.5%

Closure

4.3%

8.0%

6.6%

0.0%

8.0%

Mono-material film

1.3%

0.5%

4.3%

3.6%

4.6%

Other flexible

1.1%

5.7%

3.1%

1.2%

2.0%

Other rigid

19.2%

21.4%

17.9%

20.0%

19.9%

Rigid foam

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

1.3%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

HDPE

0.6%

2.2%

2.5%

2.5%

6.3%

LDPE

1.2%

4.2%

5.4%

4.3%

5.5%

LLDPE

0.4%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

1.0%

Other

0.0%

0.5%

0.4%

1.7%

0.1%

PET

73.6%

64.4%

68.1%

66.1%

64.1%

PETG

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

0.3%

0.3%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PP

8.1%

18.2%

23.0%

25.0%

22.6%

PS

16.0%

10.5%

0.6%

0.0%

0.0%

PVC

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Total tonnage

Tonnage

InputsForm

Polymer*2018 normalization factor unavailable due to 2018 merger between Keurig Green Mountain business and Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

62

Kimberly-Clark

2019

2020

2021

2022

111,000

106,000

86,000105,000--4.3%-22.1%-5.4%$18.5B net
sales$19.1B net
sales$19.4B net
sales$20.2B net
sales

-

-7.8%

-26.0%-13.5%

Recycled content

1.9%

2.5%

3.1%

2.7%

Biobased content (resp. sourced)

1.2%

1.2%

0.0%

0.0%

Biobased content (other)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Virgin content

97.0%

96.3%

96.9%

97.3%

Bottle

9.5%

1.0%

0.7%

0.0%

Closure

0.0%

5.8%

0.0%

0.0%

Mono-material film

62.4%

67.5%

80.3%

72.8%

Other flexible

12.2%

15.2%

15.9%

13.9%

Other rigid

15.9%

10.4%

3.1%

13.3%

Rigid foam

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

HDPE

8.7%

0.2%

0.1%

0.0%

LDPE

62.4%

67.5%

80.3%

72.8%

LLDPE

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Other

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PET

12.4%

15.4%

15.6%

13.9%

PETG

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PP

16.5%

16.9%

4.0%

13.3%

PS

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PVC

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Total tonnage
Change in tonnage from 2019
Tonnage

Normalization factor
Normalized change in tonnage
from 2019

InputsForm

Polymer63

Tonnage

InputsForm

Polymer

McDonald’s Corporation

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Total tonnage

153,000

181,000

156,000

162,000

164,000

Change in tonnage
from 2018-+18.8%

+2.0%

+5.7%

+7.6%

Normalization factor*

63.8B units
procured

53.3B units
procured

56.4B units
procured

55.5B units
procured

Normalized change intonnage from 2019

*

*

+2.8%

+0.8%

+4.3%

Recycled content

2.6%

1.2%

0.6%

0.8%

1.3%

Biobased content(resp. sourced)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Biobased content (other)

0.1%

0.6%

0.9%

2.0%

2.9%

Virgin content

97.3%

97.7%

98.5%

97.2%

95.8%

Bottle

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Closure

27.7%

25.6%

25.3%

0.0%

0.0%

Mono-material film

6.0%

11.3%

10.3%

14.8%

10.6%

Other flexible

1.4%

3.5%

4.8%

1.3%

4.7%

Other rigid

47.2%

45.7%

47.7%

73.2%

77.4%

Rigid foam

2.2%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

15.5%

14.0%

11.9%

10.7%

7.3%

HDPE

0.1%

3.5%

4.3%

4.1%

3.0%

LDPE

6.0%

11.3%

10.9%

11.1%

10.6%

LLDPE

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Other

1.4%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PET

7.7%

11.0%

7.2%

6.0%

3.9%

PETG

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.1%

0.3%

0.2%

1.1%

0.9%

PP

54.3%

53.2%

59.5%

60.7%

65.5%

PS

30.4%

20.7%

18.0%

17.0%

16.1%

PVC

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

*2018 normalization factor unavailable due to inconsistencies with the normalization factor for subsequent years.

64Procter & Gamble

2019

2020

2021

2022

605,000

609,000

679,000

685,000-+0.6%+12.3%+13.2%$67.7B net
sales$71.0B net
sales$76.1B net
sales$80.2B net
sales

-

-4.0%

-0.2%

-4.5%

Recycled content

6.3%

7.4%

9.0%

10.7%

Biobased content (resp. sourced)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Biobased content (other)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Virgin content

93.7%

92.6%

91.0%

89.3%

Bottle

49.4%

46.2%

56.1%

48.2%

Closure

13.0%

6.3%

6.4%

10.9%

Mono-material film

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

5.2%

Other flexible

33.7%

16.0%

12.7%

14.4%

Other rigid

3.9%

31.4%

24.9%

21.3%

Rigid foam

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

HDPE

18.6%

32.5%

33.6%

36.3%

LDPE

25.3%

16.0%

12.7%

7.9%

LLDPE

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

4.3%

Other

8.4%

6.6%

7.7%

6.7%

PET

30.9%

21.1%

22.2%

20.7%

PETG

3.9%

1.1%

1.0%

0.9%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PP

13.0%

22.8%

22.8%

22.4%

PS

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.5%

PVC

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.1%

Total tonnage
Change in tonnage from 2019
Tonnage

Normalization factor
Normalized change in tonnage
from 2019

InputsForm

Polymer65

Starbucks

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

191,000

133,000

121,000

151,000

153,000

Change in tonnage from
2019

-

New
baseline-9.3%+13.4%+15.3%

Normalization factor-$26.5B net
revenues$23.5B net
revenues$29.1B net
revenues$32.3B net
revenues

Normalized change intonnage from 2019-Newbaseline

+2.2%

+3.5%

-5.2%

Recycled content

6.4%

5.6%

5.6%

4.6%

6.6%

Biobased content(resp. sourced)

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

4.8%

Biobased content (other)

1.0%

0.7%

0.9%

1.6%

0.0%

Virgin content

92.6%

93.7%

93.5%

93.8%

88.5%

Bottle

15.4%

19.6%

19.9%

20.6%

20.0%

Closure

19.5%

18.4%

17.6%

16.6%

15.0%

Mono-material film

1.9%

3.2%

3.0%

0.0%

0.1%

Other flexible

6.7%

7.6%

7.6%

10.3%

14.7%

Other rigid

51.2%

48.4%

49.5%

50.9%

48.1%

Rigid foam

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

5.3%

2.8%

2.5%

1.6%

2.1%

HDPE

12.9%

3.0%

2.8%

12.5%

12.0%

LDPE

5.0%

5.9%

5.2%

3.2%

1.8%

LLDPE

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Other

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PET

19.8%

21.3%

27.9%

24.0%

21.3%

PETG

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PHA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

1.9%

PLA

1.0%

0.7%

0.9%

1.6%

2.9%

PP

57.1%

66.8%

61.3%

56.7%

59.2%

PS

3.7%

2.1%

1.9%

2.0%

0.6%

PVC

0.4%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

0.2%

Total tonnage

Tonnage

InputsForm

Polymer

66

The Coca-Cola Company
Total tonnage
Change in tonnage
from 2018
Tonnage

Normalization factor
Normalized change intonnage from 2018

InputsForm

Polymer

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

3,010,000

3,100,000

2,960,000

3,220,000

3,470,000

-

+2.8%

-1.6%

+7.1%

+15.4%

117B bottles 120B bottles 112B bottles 125B bottles 134B bottles
sold
sold
sold
sold
sold
-

+0.3%

+2.7%

+0.2%

+0.8%

Recycled content

8.7%

9.3%

11.2%

13.6%

14.9%

Biobased content(resp. sourced)

1.5%

1.7%

0.1%

0.4%

0.0%

Biobased content (other)

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.1%

Virgin content

89.7%

89.0%

88.6%

86.0%

85.0%

Bottle

91.7%

99.9%

99.9%

100.0%

99.9%

Closure

8.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Mono-material film

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Other flexible

0.2%

0.1%

0.1%

0.0%

0.1%

Other rigid

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Rigid foam

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Small plastics

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

HDPE

6.1%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

LDPE

0.2%

0.1%

0.1%

0.0%

0.1%

LLDPE

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Other

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PET

91.4%

99.9%

99.9%

100.0%

99.9%

PETG

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PLA

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PP

2.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PS

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

PVC

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

67

Appendix C
TABLE C1. Form description and classification
Packaging
Classification

Form
Category

Form Category
Definition

Form Description
ExamplesBottleA form of rigid packaging having a comparatively
narrow neck or mouth with a closure and usuallyno handle. Source: ISO 21067:2007

BottleScrew caps on plastic
bottles

ClosureIncludes caps and closures that would be left on
containers going to recycling. Caps/closures thatwould be disposed of separately from theprimary container would fall under small plastics(problematic to recycle as separate components
due to size).
Rigid products made from foamed polymers,
typically Polystyrene (PS).

Foamed products like EPS
cups, foamed PS plates,
egg cartons, meat andproduce trays

Category used to capture rigids that are notclassified as bottles, closures, foamed rigids, or
small plastics.

Solid cups, jars, disposable
utensils, thermoforms,
trays, blisters, non-foamclamshells

Items smaller than 2 inches in two dimensions
require testing to determine the appropriate APR
recyclability category. These small packages arelost to the plastic recycling stream.
Source: APR

Plastic straws, cutlery,coffee sticks

Polymer used as raw material for manufacturing
plastic products or packaging.

Polymer pellets used as
primary content of molded
or extruded product;
polymer used as coating or
barrier material

Includes mono-material stretch and shrink films
and mono-material film bags and sacks that aresuited for recycling.

Pallet wrap, stretch andshrink wrap aroundproducts for shipment,
single-use plastic grocery
bags

RIGID
Rigid foam

Other rigid

Small plastics
RIGID/FLEXIBLE
Raw material

Mono-material
film

SHRINK FILM: plastic material that shrinks in size
when heated to conform to the item(s) packaged.
Source: ISO 21067-1:2016
STRETCH WRAP: material that elongates whenapplied under tension and which, through elastic
recovery, conforms to item(s) packaged.
Source: ISO 21067-1:2016

FLEXIBLE

Includes multi-material/laminate films.
Other flexible

68

Direct product packaging,lDirect product packaging,laminated beverage andfood pouches, metallized
films, snack bags, andwrappers

TABLE C2. List of countries reported by ReSource Members in 2022 and the regional groupings used in the analysis.

Country

RegionEast Asia &Pacific

Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Fiji, French Polynesia,
Hong Kong SAR China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, Macao SAR China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Caledonia, New Zealand,
Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan China, Thailand, Viet Nam

Europe &Central Asia

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan

Latin America& Caribbean

Argentina, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada,
Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay,
Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Martin (French part), Trinidad and Tobago, Turks andCaicos Islands, Uruguay, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Middle East &North Africa

Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Arab Republic of Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Malta, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank andGaza, Republic of Yemen

North
AmericaSouth Asia

Sub-SaharanAfricaCanada, United States

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Botswana, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya,
Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia,
South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

69

Endnotes
1“The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of
Plastics.” World Economic Forum, 2016. https://www3.
weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf.

11 Based on the Global Commitment definition requiring thata packaging category achieves a 30% recycling rate inregions that collectively have over 400 million inhabitants.

2“Breaking the Plastic Wave: A Comprehensive Assessmentof Pathways Towards Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution.”
The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ, 2020. https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/10/breakingtheplasticwave_mainreport.pdf.

3“Impacts of Plastic Pollution in the Oceans on Marine
Species, Biodiversity and Ecosystems.” WWF-Germany,2022. https://wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/
wwf_impacts_of_plastic_pollution_on_biodiversity.pdf.

12 These markets were identified as markets with advances
infrastructure. This is defined by McDonald’s as “Mature
waste and recycling infrastructure at a national level thathas (1) recycling infrastructure network across the entire
market, (2) multiple materials being recycled within thisnational infrastructure network, (3) existing legislation on
recycling, and (4) high customer awareness of waste andrecycling.” At the end of 2022, that included 21 markets
where McDonald’s operates.

4“Reuse – rethinking packaging,” Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2019. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/
reuse-rethinking-packaging.

5

Analysis conducted by WWF using data from UNEP, Trucost,
and the Plastic Disclosure Project.

6

We rely on the ISO 14021:2016 definition of post-consumer
recycled content and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
definition of biobased content. Together, we consider
post-consumer recycled content and responsibly sourced
biobased content as constituting “sustainable” or “responsible” inputs. WWF follows the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance’s
definition of responsibly sourced biobased content; see
Glossary for complete definitions.

14 “The Global Commitment 2022 Progress Report.” Ellen
MacArthur Foundation and UN Environment Programme,
2022. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/global-commitment-2022/overview.

7

Advanced products are those that are sustainably produced, mitigate climate change, and reduce the risk offossil depletion. This term typically captures futurematerials innovations that are currently in the design stage
or at a very small scale. We align with the Roundtable for
Sustainable Biomaterials’ Advanced Products Standard.

8“The Global Commitment 2022 Progress Report.” Ellen
MacArthur Foundation and UN Environment Programme,
2022. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/global-commitment-2022/overview.

16 The ReSource Footprint Tracker allows key actors to align on
metrics for success and identify targeted interventions acrossthe global landscape. In the spirit of driving transformationalchange, in late 2020 the ReSource Footprint Tracker methodology was released as an open access publication. Data
improvement and harmonization will continue to be a priority
for ReSource moving forward, including collaborating to ensure
a successful evolution of reporting tools and disclosure
frameworks for corporate plastic footprints and country-level
waste management reporting.

9“Reuse – Rethinking Packaging.” Ellen MacArthur Foundation,
2019. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/
reuse-rethinking-packaging.

10 WWF believes that responsibly sourced biobased content at
a minimum must be legally sourced; be derived fromrenewable biomass; pose no adverse impact on foodsecurity; have no negative impact on land conversion,
deforestation, or critical ecosystems; and provide environmental benefits—including near-term climate
benefits—compared with fossil-based plastic. Credible
certifications such as the Roundtable on Sustainable
Biomaterials can help ensure responsible sourcing.

13 Primary guest packaging refers to disposable products used
to package guest food on premises at McDonald’s restaurantsthat is given to customers in all order channels, including
containers, cups, clamshells, wraps, foodservice bags,
napkins, folding cartons, salad bowls, lids, straws, napkins
and cup carriers, and Happy Meal book and toy packaging.

15 “Unpacking Labeling and Design: U.S. Consumer Perceptionof Compostable Packaging.” Closed Loop Partners, 2023.
https://www.closedlooppartners.com/research/
us-consumer-perception-of-compostable-packaging/.

17 “CDP’s environmental disclosure system opens forreporting on plastics for first time at request of investors
with US$130+ trillion in assets.” CDP, April 19, 2023.
https://www.cdp.net/en/articles/media/
cdps-environmental-disclosure-system-opens-for-reporting-on-plastics-for-first-time-at-request-of-investors-withus130-trillion-in-assets.
18 “Towards a Treaty to End Plastic Pollution: Global Rules toSolve a Global Problem.” WWF, November 3, 2022. https://
wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/towards_a_treaty_
to_end_plastic_pollution___final_report.pdf.

Cover photo: © Shutterstock / Avigator Fortuner

70

@ Michel Gunther / WWF71https://resource-plastic.com/