Digimarc’s Post

This year’s Earth Day puts plastic(s) under the spotlight. It´s make or break for the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations this week to address the "full life cycle of plastic from source to sea". We face, yet another, herculean challenge. Companies and consumers have their say and bear responsibility on the matter (although not at the same level). It makes (business) sense to tackle the problem as soon as possible. There's a clear demand from consumers to do so: An April #Greenpeace International survey found that 82% of respondents from 19 countries support cutting the production of plastic to stop plastic pollution and 90% endorse transitioning away from single-use plastic packaging. Two topics to flag that are particularly relevant for companies in light of negotiations taking place this week: 🎯 MORE CIRCULAR ECONOMY NEEDED: Downstream strategies to curb plastic pollution are ineffective in the face of increased upstream plastic production. There´s a fair amount of consensus about the need to go beyond the focus on waste management (downstream solutions) and its financing, and concentrate more efforts on reduce, reuse, and redesign (upstream and midstream). But there is also considerable push-back as shown during INC-3 discussions. 👉Investment needs/opportunities: As #MengjiaoWang, Exeter Uni & colleagues point out, whilst only around 10% of plastic is recycled, 88% of the investment capital for circularity goes into recycling and recovery, and only 4% goes into reuse solutions. Upstream and midstream solutions require far more financial investment and incentives. 🎯MORE TRANSPARENCY NEEDED: Companies are under mounting pressure and scrutiny from climate advocates, governments and consumers. Failure to address stakeholders’ (and shareholders’ ) concerns regarding actions to tackle the #plasticscrisis and information about social & environmental externalities associated with the plastic value chain will further expose companies to reputation, legal (see the #ClientEarth case against Danone) and investment risks. Some progress has been made so far, but way more needs to be done. 👉Investors are already demanding such steps: In Nov. 2023, 49 financial institutions with a combined total of $3.5 Tri USD in assets under management endorsed an open letter produced by #CarbonDisclosureProject (CDP) and addressed to global governments, requesting that mandatory corporate disclosure of plastics (covering the risks, opportunities, impacts, and dependencies associated with the entire life-cycle of plastic products, from creation to responsible disposal) to be included as part of the GPT. The rationale behind the call for access to this data lies in its critical role as the foundation for informed decisions and strategic actions (investment). 👁 Watch out also for: The inclusion of strong criteria for extended producer responsibility schemes making plastic producers pay. Happy Earth Day

As a follow-on to yesterday’s post on plastic recycling and it’s international “image, Dan Leif’s article shed some interesting light on the metrics and assumptions used to influence stakeholders that recycling “doesn’t work” as it should. A clever reader will see the nuances here, and why these claims are misguided. This perception is sadly now influencing the way the UN Plastic Treaty is being discussed, without the critical focus of recycling as the most significant plastic-sequestering piece of the puzzle for reducing pollution. And the amazing thing, again not being discussed, is that much of this can be done with no technology input at all, but simply societal change programs which create cleaner feedstock streams of uncontaminated (plastic) materials. We have done this in two countries and it works, with no reason it can’t be replicated everywhere. A few good quotes from him might peak your interest on some other options being put forth in the treaty discussions, none of which have a remediation factor included in the way they work. “As I noted at the outset, a reuse-oriented packaging landscape is one I stand behind. But that is a massive undertaking, akin to removing all passenger cars from our roads and moving entirely to electric-based public transportation. “Just as we would need to move incrementally to that clean transportation dream (promote electric cars while scaling up infrastructure for trains, for instance), we have to take practical, realistic steps toward a stronger packaging future.” https://lnkd.in/g6K4z9F3 #unplastictreaty #plastic #recycling #sustainability The Economist The Guardian China Daily UN Environment Programme Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) ISWA International Solid Waste Association The Wharton School Sustainable Brands Trellis Group Eco-Business Green Is The New Black Financial Times Jean-Michel Dumont Serge Dumont Jean-Francois (JF) Tremblay Andrea Richey Salesforce Nike Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Inger Andersen Douw Steyn Lyn Tattum

5 Stats on Plastic Recycling and ‘Circularity’ Investments: 1. $32 billion was the recent yearly average investment in plastics circularity From 2018 to 2023, global investments in plastics circularity totaled $190 billion, averaging $32 billion annually, with over half in North America. Despite these investments, this is far below the $1 trillion needed yearly by 2040 to reduce global plastic mismanagement. Most funding came from banks, followed by corporations, private equity, and others. Only 6% of investments reached "emerging" economies hardest hit by plastic pollution. 2. 82% of global plastics circularity investments are going to recovery and recycling Investments were still heavily skewing toward plastics recovery and recycling between 2018 and 2023, according to the Plastics Circularity Investment Tracker. Just 4% were tracked to refill and reuse, one example being PepsiCo’s more than $3 billion acquisition of SodaStream International in 2018. 3. The global economy is 7.2% ‘circular’ That’s down from 9.1% in 2018, “meaning more than 90% of materials extracted are either wasted, lost, or remain unavailable,”. BofA Global Research projects that “plastic consumption, waste, emissions and leakage” could rise by 50% to 70% by 2040 as global use of the material grows. 4. The US residential recycling rate for PET bottles is now 28% The statistic was featured in an August report from the PET Recycling Coalition, a brands-backed initiative of The Recycling Partnership. Since 2022, the coalition has worked to increase the capture of PET bottles; widen acceptance of trays, cups and clamshells in community recycling collection programs; unlock new supplies of recycled material for packaging manufacturers; and strengthen recycling systems of pigmented and opaque material. 5. Plastics Pacts globally have increased recycled content by 44% That’s according to a six-years-in impact report on the Plastics Pact Network from WRAP (the U.K.’s Waste and Resources Action Programme) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. According to the report, the first such pact launched in the U.K. in 2018, and pacts now cover 19 countries, where members collectively account for one-third of the plastic packaging placed on the market in those nations. #PlasticRecycling #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #ZeroWaste #hubbaLtd

🌍 The Plastic Industry’s Role: A Deep Dive into the Recycling Narrative Ever wondered why the responsibility for plastic waste lands squarely on consumers? This isn’t by accident—it’s a calculated move by the plastic industry to divert blame from their production practices. Let’s uncover how corporations spun the recycling narrative to keep us distracted from the real issue. 🗓️ The Origin: "Keep America Beautiful" Campaign In the 1950s, corporations like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dow Chemical launched the "Keep America Beautiful" campaign. On the surface, it promoted anti-littering and personal responsibility. But beneath the glossy ads was a powerful agenda: shift the focus away from plastic production and onto consumers. 📊 Eye-Opening Numbers: ♻️ 91% of plastic isn’t recycled. Despite decades of recycling efforts, only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. 🌊 380 million tons of plastic are produced annually—and this is expected to double by 2040. 🚮 Less than 30% of plastic packaging is collected for recycling globally, and an even smaller percentage is actually recycled due to contamination and economic constraints. 💰 The Power of Lobbying Corporations have spent millions lobbying against stricter regulations and bans on plastic production. By championing recycling, they successfully shifted the burden onto consumers and governments. The result? A false narrative that consuming more plastic is acceptable as long as we recycle. 🚫 The Reality Check: Most plastics are not recyclable in practice. The infrastructure can’t keep up, and many plastics degrade in quality after recycling, leading to downcycling or ending up in landfills. 📢 Time for Accountability The narrative needs to change. Corporations must take responsibility for reducing plastic production and investing in sustainable alternatives. It’s not just about recycling—it’s about reimagining our approach to plastic altogether. Let’s demand real change. We can no longer be passive consumers. It’s time to hold industries accountable and push for systemic transformation. 💡 The power is in our hands. Let’s challenge the myth, expose the truth, and drive towards a truly sustainable future. #CircularEconomy #PlasticCrisis #Sustainability #RecyclingReality #CorporateAccountability #GreenFuture #ZeroWaste #EnvironmentalAction #SustainableLivingsustainability #greenfuture #circularity #circularsolutions #RecyclingMyths #SustainabilityMatters #WasteNot #TheTruthAboutRecycling #PlasticCrisis #EcoFriendlyFuture #SustainableSolutions #GreenwashingExposed #EnvironmentalAwareness #ActForThePlanet #ReduceReuseRecycle #SustainableLiving #wastemanagement #nsrcel #iimb

Where there is a will there is go! Driving the world towards a clear reduction of plastic waste is possible. Dow is investing in making plastic production carbon neutral by 2027 whereby enabling to fully close the loop on plastic recycling. ♻️ Jim Fitterling very well explains how on his interview to Forbes. #INC4 #Endplasticwaste #circulareconomy

At Grove, we love to celebrate sustainable wins and lead with optimism when communicating with our customers. However, don't let our optimism fool you- we're acutely aware of the alarming global plastic crisis. Among 225 global companies with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion, none are effectively addressing or making measurable progress in reducing their plastic footprints. As plastic pollution escalates into a critical environmental concern, we are calling on these global leaders to take urgent action and reduce their plastic intensity (pounds of plastic per $100 of revenue) as a key strategy to decouple their growth from reliance on plastic. Our unwavering commitment is to help our customers turn off the plastic tap by avoiding the sale of plastic products in the first place, while also minimizing the impact of single-use plastic on the environment. We continue to disclose our plastic intensity quarterly, demonstrating our dedication to transparency and accountability in our sustainability efforts. Many thanks to As You Sow for issuing the annual Plastics Scorecard report and Elsa Wenzel on the GreenBiz Group team for writing on this existential problem. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dxieM555

Great article here on plastic recycling and its misperceived value. This is particularly important (and not well acknowledged enough among the member-state delegates) for the ongoing UN Plastic Treaty negotiations. One of the problems with scaled success of recovered material for recycling is that “most plastic containers are not getting back into the recycling system, and recyclers simply cannot recycle what they don't collect. For example, only 3 out of 10 water and soda bottles in the U.S. get put into recycling bins, despite those bottles being 100% recyclable.” “In this context, we must focus on real solutions to make recycling work more effectively. The truth is that recycling has never had adequate, sustained funding, and it has been left for local governments to manage. This strategy has resulted in an inequitable, largely inefficient system.“ Stay tuned for a follow-on article on recycling metrics and the way it misrepresents the opportunity this solution offers for reduced plastic pollution. https://lnkd.in/eEe98bhA #plastic #recycling #inc5 #unplastictreaty PEMSEA National Environment Agency Plasticity Forum Plastic Disclosure Project The Wharton School Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) University of California, Berkeley ISWA International Solid Waste Association

Sharing a great op-ed written by Beyond Plastics' new Managing Director, Dr. Michael Shank, that appeared in the Baltimore Sun last week. It's about the lawsuit that Rob Bonta, the California Attorney General, filed against ExxonMobil for its deception in convincing the public that plastics recycling is working when in fact it has been an abject failure, with the exception of # 1PET and #2 HDPE--and that is largely taking place due to deposits in 10 U.S. states. Generally speaking, only about 5-6% plastics are being recycled in the United States. ExxonMobil's decades-long campaign of deception has enabled them--and other Big Plastic companies--to ramp up production, leading to unmitigated plastic pollution that now clogs our oceans and waterways, dirties our streets and parks, and breaks down into micro- and nanoplastics that have infiltrated almost every organ in the human body--more on that in a future post. For now, Beyond Plastics is partnering with environmental organizations throughout the country with the goal of replicating California's lawsuit in as many states as possible. We need to continue to put legal, financial, and public opinion pressure on this polluting industry. Capping global plastic production--and ultimately reducing it dramatically--is the only way we will be able to save ourselves, and the rest of life on this planet, from insidious plastic pollution.

With the failure to agree on a global plastic treaty in Busan at the INC-5 meeting and no end in sight of super cheap virgin plastic prices, #plastic #circularity is yet again at a critical junction. I shared my thoughts on the way forward with Sustainable Plastics - thank you for this opportunity. Two things stand out: 1️⃣ We cannot recycle our way out of the plastic waste crisis; too much emphasis is given to downstream "solutions" by those players in the value chain trying to protect the value of their linear assets. 2️⃣ If and when we talk about #recycling, all eyes should focus on advanced #mechanical recycling and #product #design for circularity. Other "solutions" are of much lesser importance given the higher ecological footprint, uncertain yield and dependance on the very same feedstock than mechanical recycling; you cannot "lobby away" physics. We should ask ourselves: How would we structure the value chain today if we were starting from scratch? Not: How can we preserve linear industries to extract as much profit as possible from their environmentally harmful, outdated infrastructure? Addressing the waste problem with greater urgency and without ideological bias is imperative, going beyond the shareholder interests of the petrochemical industry. Karen Laird

Great article here on plastic recycling and its misperceived value. This is particularly important (and not well acknowledged enough among the member-state delegates) for the ongoing UN Plastic Treaty negotiations. One of the problems with scaled success of recovered material for recycling is that “most plastic containers are not getting back into the recycling system, and recyclers simply cannot recycle what they don't collect. For example, only 3 out of 10 water and soda bottles in the U.S. get put into recycling bins, despite those bottles being 100% recyclable.” “In this context, we must focus on real solutions to make recycling work more effectively. The truth is that recycling has never had adequate, sustained funding, and it has been left for local governments to manage. This strategy has resulted in an inequitable, largely inefficient system.“ Stay tuned for a follow-on article on recycling metrics and the way it misrepresents the opportunity this solution offers for reduced plastic pollution. https://lnkd.in/eGq4Aqin #plastic #recycling #inc5 #unplastictreaty Sustainable Brands Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) The World Bank Asian Development Bank (ADB) Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) Plasticity Forum Inger Andersen