The European Plastics Converters Association (EuPC) is taking exception to the new initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, saying that while the need to tackle marine litter is real, the commitment was adopted without consulting the plastics converting industry, writes Plastics News.
The EuPC has offered to help “fine tune” the commitment, which was announced earlier this week.
The Global Commitment and its vision for a circular economy that would ensure plastic never becomes waste are supported by 250 organizations including many of the world’s largest packaging producers, brands, retailers and recyclers, as well as governments, NGOs, and universities.
The EuPC suggests to the creators and signatories of the commitment that plastics converters are the best-placed industry to define the vision of plastics in a sustainable world. The organization also faults the creators of the commitment for failing to attract the countries where the plastics problem is the worst. “Local actions must be carried out in short time since apparently 80% of the world market is made of brands who are not signatories of the EMF vision,” the association said in a statement.
Companies that have signed the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment represent 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally, including H&M group, Danone, L’Oréal, Mars Inc., PepsiCo, The Coca- Cola Company, SC Johnson, and Unilever. Many of these companies have vowed to ensure that 100% of their plastic packaging be reusable, recyclable or compostable by the year 2025.
But increasing the use of recycled plastic as a raw material is a prospect that faces significant challenges. A survey by the EuPC published earlier this month (via S&P Global) found that 60% of European plastics converters say securing a supply of recycled plastic materials that is of acceptable quality is either “hard” or “very hard.” And ensuring their customers understand the benefits of recycled plastic materials or the need to use them is another challenge: just 27% of converters say their customers are aware of the benefits of using such materials.
Such challenges are being met head-on by those endorsing the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment: in addition to brands, retailers, packaging producers and the like, more than fifteen financial institutions with in excess of $2.5 trillion in assets under management have also signed on, while over $200 million has been pledged by five venture capital funds to help create a plastics circular economy.
Businesses that have signed on agree to publish annual data on their progress. Targets include eliminating problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging, moving from single-use to reuse packaging models, and striving for innovations that will help them ensure that 100% of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled, or composted by 2025.
