hubba - bringing the circular economy to life’s Post

According to a new report surveying 225 companies’ plastic-related sustainability efforts, there are zero companies making at least $1B in annual revenue who are doing enough to reduce, reuse, and/or recycle plastics. Of the companies assessed and scored by As You Sow and Ubuntoo, none received an “A” grade, and nearly 50% failed. The best grade awarded to a major company was a B+. This scorecard judged companies on their combined efforts toward plastic reduction, material reuse, and recycling expansion. The results are glaring: major companies are failing to live up to their sustainability commitments, and they must do more. The authors of the study suggest that companies focus on six areas of improvement, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). At Polycarbin, we see how EPR legislation - which requires producers to take responsibility for the end of life of their products - is increasingly prevalent in the US, Europe, and beyond. Companies need to prepare for the changing legislative landscape as governments embrace EPR. Thinking critically about a product’s end of life and designing thoughtful solutions is a pathway to a cleaner planet and, hopefully, higher grades on future plastic scorecards. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ec856VtH #circularity #plastics #EPR

🌍 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

4% recycled plastic waste—let that sink in. That’s an overwhelming mountain of plastic still out in circulation. The culprit? Soft plastics. Flexible, stretchy, and crinkly plastics like overwrap, shrink wrap, and everyday packaging are the nightmare of recycling systems. These materials clog shredding machines, get classified as "too difficult to handle," and are ultimately tossed, burned, or shipped off—often to the U.S., only to end up in places like Indonesia. And the bad news? By 2050, we’re on track to see three times these amounts choking our planet. The Plastic Pact, alongside the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model, is attempting to map the plastic crisis: identifying how much plastic producers inject into the market versus how much gets collected. But here’s where the wheels come off: The government is playing catch-up. Companies self-report their plastic data on a voluntary basis, leaving gaping holes in the numbers. Some businesses, like KMS Tools, outright boycott the EPR system, claiming it doesn’t fit their business model. And they’re not wrong that the Recycle BC program, on which EPR is based, caters largely to the food industry. Meanwhile, rural businesses remain ghosts in the system—unaccounted for and unmonitored. Prevention is getting left behind. Tackling soft plastics at the source—before they ever enter the recycling stream—is where the real opportunity lies. Innovation, collaboration, and grassroots efforts need serious funding and support. We need ideas that help consumers reduce their soft plastic footprint before it spirals into a waste crisis. This is the seed of a circular economy, and it’s not getting watered. Here’s the reality: our soft plastics crisis is only just beginning. If we don’t shift focus to the entire lifecycle of plastics, we’re doomed to stay stuck in this failing system. Consumers need to be part of the solution, empowered to evaluate and change how they interact with soft plastics. Every single touchpoint matters. Recycling alone isn’t the fix—it’s barely holding the line. Let’s stop treating the symptom and start addressing the disease. #RecycleBC, #EPR #BC #Vancouver #sustainability #PlasticPact #softplasticwaste #plasticscrisis

Today, nearly 200 countries, global nongovernmental organizations, and corporations are gathered in Ottawa for the fourth session of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4). Together, they will work to advance the world’s first plastics treaty. We continue to encourage the adoption of a legally binding treaty, including language requiring digital marking of plastic packaging. Digital watermarking is a powerful, proven, and incredibly affordable solution to the plastic pollution crisis, and it is available today. We are committed to action and being part of the solution. Today, we want to spotlight a fellow Fortune "Change the World" honoree and global leader: Jim Fitterling, chairman and CEO of Dow. Fitterling has it right. Per Dipka B. at Forbes: (Fitterling) endorses a new digital watermarking technology that developed countries, including the United States, could adopt. “When you get a package, there’s a watermark in it that may not be visible to the naked eye, but an optical sorter can pick it up in an advanced recycling facility and spread it out, so you get a higher quality raw material,” he said. The world faces a significant challenge in recycling plastic due to the vast number of plastic variants created by industry and the limitations of optical sorting technology at recycling facilities. Our solution, Digimarc Recycle, changes this dynamic. It applies covert digital watermarks to precisely identify plastic packaging, allowing for the creation of the variety, volume, and quality of recycled plastics necessary for a thriving circular economy.  Our offer to license our groundbreaking technology to partners around the world for less than $1 per capita per year underscores our belief that the time to act is now. Please join us in being a part of the solution. We invite conversation but, more importantly, collaboration and action in solving the world's plastic crisis. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gAysukX2 #INC4 #digitalwatermarks #plasticrecycling #notimetowaste #earthday2024

🌍 At Viridor Polymers, we are driven by the vision of achieving full circularity in plastics recycling by 2025. A recent report from Greenpeace UK and Everyday Plastic underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions in tackling plastic waste. 🔍 The report reveals that UK households discard approximately 1.7 billion pieces of plastic packaging weekly, a staggering 90 billion pieces annually. Only 17% of this is recycled domestically. This aligns with our focus at Viridor Polymers, particularly after our strategic acquisition of Quantafuel AS, which enhances our capabilities in transforming plastic films—a traditionally challenging material—into valuable resources. 🔄 Our pioneering plastics-to-liquids technology not only supports the transition to advanced recycling methods but also emphasises our commitment to removing plastics from the waste stream. This significantly mitigates the climate impacts from Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities, reducing the reliance on virgin plastics and fossil fuels. 🌱 Greenpeace highlights strong public support for reducing plastic production by at least 75% by 2040, a goal that aligns with our mission. We are committed to leading the way to a sustainable future by developing effective recycling and reuse systems that meet the public’s demand for sustainable solutions. Viridor Polymers remains committed to advocating for significant reductions in plastic production and the adoption of global targets that support a circular economy. 🔗 Join us in this crucial journey towards sustainability. We are excited to set new standards in the industry, demonstrating that through innovation and collaboration, we can tackle the plastics crisis effectively. #PlasticRecycling #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Innovation #ViridorPolymers #Greenpeace #EverydayPlastic #GlobalPlasticsTreaty https://lnkd.in/dAezbzYV

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

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Plastics recycling has become an essential component in addressing the global challenge of plastic waste. With the increasing consumption of plastic products, the environmental burden has grown, leading to severe pollution in oceans, landfills, and natural ecosystems. Recycling plastic helps mitigate these issues by reducing the need for virgin plastic production, conserving natural resources, and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. The process involves collecting and processing discarded plastic items, such as bottles, containers, and packaging, which are then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new products. This circular economy approach not only decreases the volume of plastic waste but also contributes to energy savings and reduced environmental impact, as producing recycled plastic generally requires less energy than manufacturing new plastic from raw materials. 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭—𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 @ https://lnkd.in/dnr8Qzh4 However, the effectiveness of plastics recycling is hampered by several challenges. One of the primary obstacles is the complex and diverse nature of plastic types, which often necessitates sophisticated sorting and processing technologies. Contamination of recyclable plastics, such as food residues and non-recyclable materials, further complicates the recycling process, leading to lower quality recycled products. Additionally, the economics of recycling can be unfavorable, as the cost of collecting and processing plastic waste sometimes exceeds the value of the recycled material. Despite these challenges, advancements in recycling technologies and growing consumer awareness are driving improvements in the efficiency and profitability of plastic recycling. Governments and industries worldwide are also implementing stricter regulations and incentives to promote recycling, making it a critical component of sustainable waste management strategies. 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬: Indorama Ventures Public Co Ltd Veolia WM Intellectual Property Holdings LLC Unilever Johnson Matthey SUEZ Republic Services REMONDIS Gruppe Econic Technologies Ltd The Shakti Plastic Industries Biffa Waste Connections Clean Harbors KW Plastics B & B Plastics, Inc. #PlasticsRecycling #Sustainability #WasteManagement #EcoFriendly #CircularEconomy #GoGreen #ReduceReuseRecycle

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

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

The race against plastic pollution is on, and the stakes are high. By 2025, big players like Nestlé aim for all plastics to be recyclable, while L’Oreal targets entirely sustainable packaging. P&G has set its sights on reducing virgin plastic use by half come 2030. Yet, the ambition to transform our waste systems is meeting tough challenges. Advanced recycling plants, seen as a beacon of hope for managing plastic waste, are facing technical and operational hurdles, with some not reaching their full potential as swiftly as needed. My approach combines innovation with the circular economy principles, emphasising the need for community and corporate social responsibility involvement. I collaborate with global corporations, philanthropists, local governments, and communities to develop holistic waste management infrastructures that are viable and sustainable. While advanced recycling plants are part of the solution, they're just one piece of the larger puzzle of creating a truly circular economy—one where every piece of plastic has its place and purpose without harming our environment. I’m encouraged by the commitments of large corporations to reduce plastic waste and increase recyclability, but I know the journey to a waste-free world is complex. How can we build resilient systems that honour our environmental commitments? I’d love to hear your thoughts. #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #PlasticPollution