The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has launched its Global Commitment to eliminate plastic pollution at source with 290 major organisations now pledged to eradicate plastic waste by 2025, including Coca Cola, H&M, PepsiCo, the Coca-Cola Company and Unilever.

All pledgees agree that all of their plastic packaging will be reused, recycled or composted within seven years, and together the signatories represent 20 per cent of all plastic packaging produced globally. The Commitment was unveiled by Ellen MacArthur at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali.

The Global Commitment aims to create ‘a new normal’ for plastic packaging. Targets will be reviewed every 18 months, and become ‘increasingly ambitious’ over the coming years. Businesses that sign the commitment will publish annual data on their progress to help drive momentum and ensure transparency.

Along with consumer suppliers, major packing producers such as Amcor; plastics producers including Novamont; and resource management specialist Veolia are also signed up.

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, and 40 universities, institutions and academics. More than fifteen financial institutions with in excess of $2.5tr in assets under management have also endorsed the Global Commitment and over $200m has been pledged by five venture capital funds to create a circular economy for plastic.

Share Story: