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The Transparent 2021 report analyzes the plastic footprints of eight global companies (Amcor, Colgate-Palmolive, Keurig Dr Pepper, Kimberly-Clark, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, and The Coca-Cola Company). In 2020, these members reported a total of 4.60 million metric tons of plastic sold to retailers and consumers. The report finds that 31% of this plastic was estimated to be recycled, while 44% went to landfills and 16% was mismanaged. Key progress includes the elimination of polystyrene (PS) from Keurig Dr Pepper's K-Cup pods and a reduction in small plastics by Starbucks and McDonald's. However, the report highlights a significant gap in the availability of recycled content, with the aggregate portfolio containing only 7.9% recycled content. The document advocates for a binding global treaty on plastic pollution to harmonize waste management data and scale circular solutions.

The report presents the inaugural results of the ReSource Footprint Tracker, analyzing the 2018 plastic footprints of Keurig Dr Pepper, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, and The Coca-Cola Company. Together, these companies reported 4.2 million metric tons of plastic. The analysis identifies a significant gap between corporate recycled content goals and actual use, which ranged from 0.4% to 11.3%. It highlights the United States as a primary area for increasing recycling due to high landfill rates (72%), and identifies China, India, and the Philippines as priority regions for mitigating plastic mismanagement. The document calls for collective action to scale recycled polypropylene (PP) and the adoption of reusable packaging systems to prevent 50 million metric tons of plastic from entering nature by 2030.