Coca-Cola sparks concerns with recent moves impacting hundreds of workers — here's what's happening
Upcoming or completed Coca-Cola plant closures will bring the company's job loss total to 900 workers, according to Geekspin, as the company aims to streamline its production.
It's another cause for concern regarding the drinks giant's decision-making, with Coca-Cola already one of the world's biggest plastic polluters — and it recently watered down its recycling goals even further.
What's happening?
Since 2024, Coca-Cola has closed a facility in Dunedin, Florida, and California bottling plants in Modesto and American Canyon.
A distribution site in Salinas, California, and a facility in Northampton, Massachusetts, will soon follow, potentially bringing the total to five plant closures within a two-year period.
Why is Coca-Cola's plant closure concerning?
When compared to Coca-Cola's 950-plus facilities globally, the five closures might look like a drop in the ocean — but they bring an uncertain future for the nearly 900 workers affected.
The closures are not a response to financial troubles. Instead, they come amid a broader shift by the soft drinks giant, in which it focuses more on automation, making its operations more efficient, and outsourcing bottling duties to third-party firms.
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In fact, Coca-Cola expects its revenue to grow 5% this year compared to 2024, despite wider trade uncertainty sparked by U.S. tariffs.
That steady profit-making makes these layoffs even more troubling, as the company, not facing economic hardship, still chooses to plunge loyal staff into financial uncertainty.
The company also drew criticism from environmental groups in December, when it weakened its recycling and reuse goals for tens of billions of bottles per year, reported the Financial Times.
Coca-Cola stated that it intended to reduce its target for using 50% recycled materials in primary packaging by 2030 to between 35% and 40%.
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While some of its bottlers, including Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, are phasing in recyclable packaging, critics argue that the changes do not go far enough, as plastic is usually only capable of being recycled a handful of times. That's in contrast to aluminum and glass, which are infinitely recyclable.
According to a 2025 Oceana report, Coca-Cola will produce "9.1 billion pounds (4.1 million metric tons) per year by 2030" if it doesn't change course. A lot of that plastic will likely make its way to the ocean, where it could be ingested by aquatic animals and lead to serious health issues or even death.
That's not even to mention the fact that this material will break down into smaller and smaller pieces, becoming microplastics that enter the bodies of fish and lead to water quality deterioration.
These tiny pollutants have been linked to a range of human health issues and have been found in seafood, water supplies, and even the air.
What can be done about Coca-Cola's plastic pollution?
Coca-Cola has already shut or decided to shut the closing plants — but consumers can still push the company on its environmental goals.
Greenpeace is petitioning the company on plastic pollution, urging it to do more to cut down on waste.
Shoppers can also vote with their wallets by looking to support other brands that are more environmentally conscious and use less plastic. Some companies also offer recycling programs and store credit as part of broader circular economy efforts.
If enough people take these small steps, Coca-Cola may one day focus on cutting plastic, not jobs.
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Coca-Cola sparks concerns with recent moves impacting hundreds of workers — here's what's happening first appeared on The Cool Down.
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