Coca Cola

In 2022 the Clean Earth Collective were contacted by the Really Good Bar Company asking our thoughts on plastic versus aluminium. During their recent meeting with Coca Cola regarding their distribution at Glastonbury, Coca Cola mentioned that plastic could soon become infinitely recyclable.

The Clean Earth Collective decided to implement a basic carbon comparison study, analysing the two different types of packaging. Usually a carbon comparison report for packaging would not only take into account the embodied carbon in the raw materials, but also recycling rates.

For the purpose of this report we have omitted recycling rates and based the report on the highly optimistic scenario where both aluminium cans and plastic bottles both have 100% recycling rates, thus putting them on a level playing field.

The findings are unequivocal. Aluminium cans have far less carbon (CO2e) emissions than plastic bottles.