New plastics

More than 250 companies and groups, including some of the world's largest consumer goods and plastic packaging companies, have signed a plan on October 29 for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to make their packaging greener.

Commitments were made at the Our Ocean 2018 conference, held in Bali, Indonesia, and included that by 2025, 100% of plastic packaging is reusable, compostable or recyclable, that they move away from "problematic" packaging and use significantly more recycled products. plastic in the package.

SC Johnson, for example, the maker of brands such as Ziploc Bags and Windex, said it would triple the amount of plastic packaging containing recycled materials – from 10 million kilograms to 30 million dollars. Here 2025 – increasing the use of refillable concentrates and strengthening recycling. of plastic film in collection systems.

"With the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and other international organizations, we are making ambitious commitments and taking common action to create a new plastic economy that helps prevent plastic from becoming a waste," said Fisk Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer. of Racine, Wisconsin. SC Johnson.

Ellen MacArthur, head of the Isle of Wight, England-based foundation, which leads global campaigns to rethink plastic packaging and reduce waste, said the industry has received significant commitments.

"We now have more than 10% of the global plastic packaging market, who are committed to making 100% of reusable, compostable or recyclable packaging by 2025," said Ellen MacArthur, who called for general and systematic in the way plastic packaging is used.

"It does not clean the beaches, in the case of plastic, a little faster. It's vital, you have to do it, "she said. "But you have to stop the flow and go to the beginning of the system."

The effort has elicited a mixture of praise and skepticism from some people involved in plastic waste issues.

As You Sow Foundation, an investor defense group based in Oakland, Calif., Which leads a coalition of institutional investors in the amount of $ 1 trillion lobbying companies for what they do. use the plastic, announced to have signed the agreement as a sponsor, while wishing more details, as a call to producers. the responsibility to increase recycling rates.

"Without strict rules on transparency, companies will be able to reverse their commitments," said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of As You Sow.

But he said positive that companies publicly recognize the need to eliminate "problematic" plastic packaging, reduce single-use packaging and move to reuse patterns, as well as protect "workers in the sector informally "who collect packaging in developing economies.

Greenpeace cautiously welcomed the announcement as a step in the right direction, but criticized these ads as it did not require companies to set goals to reduce the use of plastics.

"While some elements of the EMF's global commitment are moving in the right direction, the problem is that companies have the opportunity to continue to prioritize recycling rather than reduction and reuse. Companies do not have to set themselves real goals to reduce the total number of single-use products they can simply continue to operate as usual after signing the pledge, "Greenpeace said in a press release.

Washington-based environmental group Oceana called the pledges "vague promises" and called on companies to stop using plastics.

But many of these companies praised what had been unveiled in Indonesia. The Paris-based consumer goods forum, which includes Nestlé, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone and distributor Marks and Spencer, has issued a statement endorsing the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's projects.

CGF stated that it recognizes "the urgent need for our industry to play a leading role in solving the problem of plastic waste".

The group stated that some of its members were already working individually and that it would develop as a group specific "precompetitive" areas in which companies can work together to improve plastic packaging, including design systems, recycling and reuse and consumer engagement. .

"The plastic waste challenge is real and urgent, and the specific actions that CGF companies can take individually and collectively in partnership with governments, NGOs and the recycling sector are best able to respond," Ian said. Cook, President and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive. Chairman of the Board of CGF. "We are committed to doing our part to ensure that the plastic we need is reused, recycled or composted safely and economically."

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