8 November 2018

Global Commitment NPE

Global Commitment to eradicate plastic pollution at the source launched

 

A Global Commitment to eradicate plastic waste and pollution at the source has been launched by The New Plastics Economy, has been signed by 250 organisations including many of the world’s largest packaging producers, brands, retailers and recyclers, as well as governments and NGOs.

The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with UN Environment, was officially unveiled at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali on Oct 29, and aims to create a ‘new normal’ for plastic packaging.

Signatories include companies representing 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally. They include well-known consumer businesses such as Danone; H&M group; L’Oréal; Mars, Incorporated; PepsiCo; The Coca-Cola Company; and Unilever; major packaging producers such as Amcor, plastics producers including Novamont, and resource management specialist Veolia.

“We know that cleaning up plastics from our beaches and oceans is vital, but this does not stop the tide of plastic entering the oceans each year,” Ellen MacArthur said.

"This is just one step on what will be a challenging journey, but one which can lead to huge benefits for society, the economy and the environment. I encourage all businesses and governments to go further and embark on a race to the top in the creation of a circular economy for plastic. One in which this material never becomes waste or pollution."

The Global Commitment and its vision for a circular economy for plastic are supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and have been endorsed by the World Economic Forum, The Consumer Goods Forum (a CEO-led organisation representing some 400 retailers and manufacturers from 70 countries), and 40 universities, institutions and academics. More than 15 financial institutions with in excess of $2.5 trillion in assets under management have also endorsed the Global Commitment and over $200 million has been pledged by five venture capital funds to create a circular economy for plastic.

Targets include:

  • Eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and move from single-use to reuse packaging models.
  • Innovate to ensure 100 per cent of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled or composted by 2025.
  • Circulate the plastic produced, by significantly increasing the amounts of plastics reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products.

 

What is a New Plastics Economy?

In a new plastics economy, plastic never becomes waste or pollution. Three actions are required to achieve this vision and create a circular economy for plastic.

  • Eliminate all problematic and unnecessary plastic items.
  • Innovate to ensure that the plastics we do need are reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
  • Circulate all the plastic items we use to keep them in the economy and out of the environment.

The New Plastics Economy is an initiative to build momentum towards a plastics system that works. Applying the principles of the circular economy, it brings together key stakeholders to rethink and redesign the future of plastics, starting with packaging.

Eliminating unnecessary and problematic plastics in an essential part of the Global Commitment vision and will make it easier to keep remaining plastics in the economy and out of the environment.

See in full the vision, commitments and definitions here: https://newplasticseconomy.org/assets/doc/global-commitment-download.pdf

 

Links:

Ellen Macarthur Foundation

The New Plastics Economy