NEW YORK, February 12. /TASS/. The US drinks company Coca-Cola has announced a potential increase in its use of plastic if US President Donald Trump’s tariffs raise the cost of aluminium cans, The Guardian said in its article.
Coca-Cola’s chief executive, James Quincey, said it imports aluminium for its drinks cans from Canada, meaning it is looking for ways to mitigate any price rises resulting from the tariffs and could be forced to switch to plastic bottles. "If aluminium cans become more expensive, we can put more emphasis on PET [plastic] bottles," he told investors.
The company has previously been found to be among the world’s most polluting brands when it comes to plastic waste, according to researchers and environmental groups, the newspaper wrote. It has gradually increased the volume of its drinks sold in aluminium cans in recent years, as part of its sustainability targets. However, only just over a quarter (26%) of its drinks were sold in aluminium and steel containers in 2023, according to the company’s most recent environmental update, a slight increase on the previous two years.
Earlier this week Trump signed a decree ordering government agencies to abandon the purchase of paper drinking straws in favor of plastic ones, and develop a national strategy to reinstate plastic straws across the country. The Joe Biden administration implemented measures to reduce the use of single-use plastic for the sake of the environment. Trump's order denounced this policy as irrational.
Earlier, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada. Later he agreed to hold off imposing tariffs on goods from those countries for 30 days.
On February 10, Trump gave instructions to impose tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum to the country amounting to 25% starting March 12. The decision also concerns supplies from Canada.