Non-profit ocean conservation organisation Oceana has urged PepsiCo and its bottling partners to expedite their efforts to meet their sustainability goals to minimise single-use plastic usage.

The latest move by Oceana comes in response to PepsiCo’s recently published annual sustainability report, which highlights that it is still considering and validating certain aspects to report on the progress of its previously announced time-bound reuse goals.

Oceana Strategic Initiatives director Dana Miller added: “The surge in the use of single-use plastic packaging by Pepsi and other companies is overwhelming seas.

“A report by Oceana found that increasing the market share of refillable bottles by 10% in all coastal countries in place of single-use plastic could keep as many as 7.6 billion plastic bottles per year out of the ocean. It is critical for our oceans that PepsiCo and other major beverage companies increase their use of refillable and reusable containers.”

According to Oceana, PepsiCo first needs to accurately report its reuse goals and then establish plans to boost sales of its SodaStream machines, powders, and concentrates, to replace single-use bottles and eventually kerb Pepsi's rapidly increasing plastic footprint.

Additionally, Oceana said that the beverage company needs to boost the existing sales of its reusable bottles in those markets where they are already being successfully sold, for example in Guatemala, Chile, the Philippines, Mexico, Germany, and Colombia.  

The nonprofit added that bottlers currently working with PepsiCo, including Varun Beverages, Ambev, and Britvic, are required to 'take leadership' and set certain targets to increase reusable bottles’ market share by a minimum of 10%.

PepsiCo India has announced plans to launch 100% recycled-PET made bottles for its Carbonated Beverage category, together with Varun Beverages and Srichakra Polyplast.