Despite changes in the sustainability reporting landscape, corporate plastics disclosures rose over the last few years, according to a plastics report released this week by CDP, a global nonprofit that operates an independent environmental reporting system.
The organization said that over 22,000 companies reported data through CDP in 2025, 4,400 of which were first-time reporters. Ardagh, Ball and Graphic Packaging International are among the packaging companies that participate. The CDP questionnaire asks for disclosure on plastic polymers, durable goods/components and plastic packaging.
More companies are disclosing plastics data
Corporate plastics disclosures increased by 44% to 4,262 companies from 2023 to 2025, according to CDP. “This signals growing recognition of plastics as a material business risk and opportunity,” CDP concluded, and is especially increasing in markets with extended producer responsibility policies.
CDP elaborated on growing risk awareness: “44% of organizations report identifying plastics-related risks in 2025, up from 13% in 2023, particularly in regions with more mature regulation and mandatory reporting,” CDP said. “This supports the case for harmonized policy signals and clearer market expectations.”
Manufacturing is the largest disclosing sector. CDP also highlighted retail as among the most active sectors in addressing plastics, in part due to consumer awareness and regulatory pressure.
Plastics targets increase
The number of plastic packaging targets rose the last few years, totaling 3,762 in 2025, averaging out to 0.9 targets per CDP discloser.
CDP reported that in 2025, 52% of respondents to its questionnaire already had targets set, and 25% planned to set them within two years.
But it varies by sector. CDP charted a 22% year-over-year decline in 2025 in packaging targets among food, beverage and agriculture businesses. “Reasons cited included inadequate infrastructure or technologies to ensure recyclability in practice and at scale and the inability to adapt to global headwinds, such as the COVID-19 pandemic,” CDP reported.
Packaging targets remain the most common in this realm, followed by targets for plastic products, end-of-life management, polymers, EPR and microplastics.
A push for value chain visibility
Businesses can’t make progress alone. Annual sustainability reports often note systemwide infrastructure constraints and upstream and downstream bottlenecks with recycling and recycled content, for instance. Companies are making an effort to track that bigger picture, according to CDP.
The number of companies mapping plastics in their value chain rose from 1,233 in 2023 to 4,250 in 2025, CDP said. “Full value chain transparency offers insights that can support companies’ efforts to collaborate with suppliers on improving the circularity of plastics across the value chain,” the report states.
