You will agree with me that plastic pollution is a menace. Studies show that by 2020, there will be more plastics in the ocean than fish. This should be a significant cause for alarm and calls for the participation of all stakeholders in the recycling of plastics.

Unfortunately, four top brands are leading when it comes to pollution, thus aggravating matters. This is according to a report by Tearfund, a UK-based Christian relief and development organisation. In the report dubbed “The Burning Question: Will Companies Reduce Their Plastic Use?”, the agency names Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Unilever and PepsiCo as the companies responsible for vast plastic pollution.

The Daily Mail reports that in the research conducted in six countries, the four brands are responsible for over half a million metric tons of plastics that are dumped in landfills, sent to the incinerators or burned in some way.

Coca Cola is the biggest culprit with a 200,000 metric tons plastic pollution footprint followed by Pepsi at 137,000 metric tons. The third is Nestlé with 95,000 metric tons, and Unilever comes in at fourth with 70,000 metric tons. These are annual figures, and that tells you there’s a problem.

In different responses, the four companies seemed to acknowledge the fact that there is a problem. But all promised that they have strategic plans underway to cut down on plastics and embrace recycling in the next five to 10 years.

But it’s not just the companies; we have a responsibility to ensure we collect the plastics we use for proper disposal and recycling.