We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Global producer responsibility for plastic pollution
AI summary Read the abstract
This study used data from 1,576 audit events across 84 countries from 2018–2022 to identify brands on plastic items found polluting the environment, finding Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone, and Altria as the top five brands globally accounting for 24% of branded count. A log-log linear relationship between production volume and branded plastic pollution was identified, with food and beverage companies disproportionately large polluters.
Brand names can be used to hold plastic companies accountable for their items found polluting the environment. We used data from a 5-year (2018-2022) worldwide (84 countries) program to identify brands found on plastic items in the environment through 1576 audit events. We found that 50% of items were unbranded, calling for mandated producer reporting. The top five brands globally were The Coca-Cola Company (11%), PepsiCo (5%), Nestlé (3%), Danone (3%), and Altria (2%), accounting for 24% of the total branded count, and 56 companies accounted for more than 50%. There was a clear and strong log-log linear relationship production (%) = pollution (%) between companies' annual production of plastic and their branded plastic pollution, with food and beverage companies being disproportionately large polluters. Phasing out single-use and short-lived plastic products by the largest polluters would greatly reduce global plastic pollution.
More Papers Like This
Brand-Level Accountability for Indonesia's Plastic Crisis: A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Civil-Society Audits, Producer Roadmaps, and Upcycling Enterprise Geography
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tracked which brands' plastic packaging shows up most in Indonesian rivers across dozens of regions in Bali and East Java, then compared this to where companies actually have cleanup programs and recycling businesses in place. The findings matter because plastic waste that isn't managed properly breaks down into microplastics that can contaminate water, food, and eventually our bodies, so knowing which companies' products are polluting the most (and whether their promises match reality) helps hold them accountable for reducing that risk.
Brand-Level Accountability for Indonesia's Plastic Crisis: A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Civil-Society Audits, Producer Roadmaps, and Upcycling Enterprise Geography
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tracked plastic waste pulled from rivers in Bali and East Java, matching trash brands to the companies that made them, and compared this to local recycling programs and corporate pollution-reduction pledges. This kind of brand-level tracking matters because plastic waste that ends up in rivers and oceans breaks down into microplastics, which have been found in human blood, lungs, and even placentas, so knowing which companies' products are polluting waterways helps hold them accountable and could push for better packaging and waste-management practices that reduce our exposure to these particles.
Brand audit attribution of plastic litter in the African Great Lakes: dominance of national manufacturers and implications for extended producer responsibility
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers analyzed nearly 10,000 pieces of plastic trash found along Africa's Great Lakes shorelines and found that just three Tanzanian companies were responsible for over half of it, with local (not international) brands making up the vast majority. This matters because it shows that plastic pollution—which breaks down into microplastics that can contaminate drinking water, fish, and eventually our bodies—could be significantly reduced if a small number of local manufacturers were required to fund cleanup and recycling programs, rather than leaving communities to deal with the waste on their own.
Mass and fate estimates of plastic waste dispersed globally to marine and terrestrial environments by three major corporations
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers estimated that the top three fast-moving consumer goods companies—Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé—produced 138 million metric tons of plastic between 2000 and 2023, with 10–15% becoming aquatic pollution and 39–43% becoming terrestrial pollution. The study found that targeted infrastructure investments in Southeast Asia and Latin America could abate 77% of marine-bound plastic from these companies by 2050.
Critical assessment of the reliability and provenance of global plastic pollution flow statistics
AI summary Read the abstract
A critical assessment of global plastic pollution flow statistics reveals significant reliability and provenance issues in widely cited data, raising questions about the accuracy of existing estimates. Robust data on plastic transport pathways is foundational to understanding microplastic distribution and designing effective pollution interventions.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.