International companies join together to eliminate plastic waste

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has announced a new Global Commitment to eliminate plastic waste.

The commitment, in partnership with the UN Environment, has been signed by over 250 of the world’s largest packaging brands including The Coca-Cola Company, Mars, L’Oréal and H&M.

This initiative aims to create a ‘new normal’ for plastic packaging and has set out a number of targets that will be renewed every 18 months.

The overarching goal is to innovate to ensure 100 per cent of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled or composted by 2025.

In line with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s overarching mentality, they also want to circulate the plastic produced by significantly increasing the amounts of plastic reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products.

Ellen MacArthur unveiled this new initiative at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali on Monday, she said: “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. The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment draws a line in the sand, with businesses, governments and others around the world uniting behind a clear vision for what we need to create a circular economy for plastic. 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.”

Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment, said: “The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment is the most ambitious set of targets we have seen yet in the fight to beat plastics pollution. It sets out the steps businesses and governments must take if we are to find a solution to the root causes of plastic pollution and we urge all those working towards dealing with this global issue to sign it.”

Photograph: (c) Greenpeace