Resonance’s Post

All eyes are on the discussions and outcomes from the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on #plasticpollution. In the lead-up to INC-4, here are some top industry voices sharing their thoughts on this important topic. "A UN treaty based on legally-binding global rules and comprehensive circular economy measures is a unique opportunity to accelerate systems change and end plastic pollution." - Ellen MacArthur Foundation "Canada’s plastics makers believe that we have a vital role to play and that an effective agreement will address the global problem of plastic pollution by creating a policy environment that enables circularity—that is, where plastics are sustainably produced, designed, used, reused, and recycled, instead of discarded." - Chemistry Industry Association of Canada "We believe that transitioning from a linear to a circular plastic system, in which all plastic applications are reused, recycled, and responsibly managed, is key to tackling the problem of plastic waste. And the most effective way to accelerate this transition while maintaining the utility that plastics offer society is for the Treaty to make plastic waste a commodity with real value." - Plastics Europe "Plastics directly contribute to many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by enabling clean water, renewable energy, improved healthcare, energy efficient transportation, and preventing food loss. The plastics agreement should continue to enable the essential role of plastics in creating a more sustainable future." - Global Partners for Plastics Circularity At #AduroCleanTech, we echo these thoughts. We believe that #plastics have an important role to play in enabling a modern #sustainable future. However, we also recognize the urgent need to put an end to plastic pollution. Adopting #circular practices is crucial to achieving this goal. #globalplasticstreaty #plasticstreaty #inc4 #unep #circulareconomy #plasticrecycling

The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) proudly announces its support for the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, an initiative convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WWF since September 2022. With this support, HPRC joins over 200 businesses spanning the plastics value chain, financial institutions, and NGO partners, amplifying the call for an effective UN treaty that transitions plastics into a circular economy, preventing them from becoming pollution. “Plastics are critical to effective global healthcare, and while healthcare plastics are just one small portion of the collective plastic pollution problem our world is facing, there are unique challenges and opportunities associated with these materials,” shared Peylina Chu, Executive Director of HPRC. “Supporting the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty allows organizations like HPRC to have our voices amplified and contribute to the greater goal of a circular plastics economy.” Continue reading below: #HPRC #BusinessForAPlasticsTreaty

🎉Exciting news! New ERA joins the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty 🤝What’s the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty?  This initiative brings together more than 200 businesses, financial institutions, trade associations and NGOs committed to supporting the development of an ambitious and effective global treaty to end plastic pollution. Its mission is in line with our vision of a circular economy in which plastics never become waste, and the value of products and materials is retained in the economy. That’s why we have decided to join the coalition and proudly represent the refill and reuse industry. 🗣Give reuse a voice Implementing policies to promote reuse and circular business models would enhance material utilisation, reducing demand for new plastic products, and therefore reducing plastic pollution. We are glad to see that reuse is recognised as one of the solutions to get out of the plastic crisis in the Zero Draft of this legally binding instrument. We stand with the position of the Business Coalition, which recommends that the future Treaty:  • Includes clear reuse definitions.  • Encourages and channels further investments into reuse systems. • Provides realistic targets combined with effective economic incentives and metrics to adapt supply chains and spur the shift towards reuse systems. 📣New ERA’s advocacy New ERA will be present to give voice to our industry at the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Ottawa at the end of April! We will work hard to ensure reuse is considered part of the solution and that our recommendations are properly addressed in the negotiations on the Plastics Treaty! 🌍 Business For A Plastics Treaty #GlobalPlasticsTreaty #Biz4PlasticsTreaty #UNEP #INC4 #NewERA

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with #KPMG, Suzanne Kuiper has released an insightful report on circular industry solutions for a global plastics treaty. 👉 Checkout the 24 cases studies and promising solutions to end plastic pollution ♻ 🌍 Plastic waste has more than doubled since 2000, reaching 353 million tons in 2019, demanding urgent global action. A 2022 UN resolution aims to create a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution, focusing on a circular plastics economy. Effective solutions require coordinated efforts from governments, businesses, and civil society across the plastics value chain. Bold policies and financial mechanisms, including extended producer responsibility and clear regulatory standards, are essential to scale circular solutions. Highlighted examples show that existing circular solutions can be scaled globally with the right support.

🌍 Spotlight on WRAP's Plastics Pact Impact Report at INC4! 🌐    This week, as the INC4 conference takes place, we're excited to share that WRAP, in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, has released a summary of their Plastics Pact Impact Report. This pivotal publication highlights the effectiveness and impact of the global Plastics Pact Network, which ANZPAC is a proud participant of.    The report showcases the tangible outcomes achieved by the Plastics Pact Network at national, regional, and global levels. This proven model of collaborative effort underlines the power of unity in addressing environmental challenges.    Accompanying the summary is a policy brief, both aimed at reinforcing the necessity for an ambitious treaty with legally binding measures. These documents articulate the critical role that Plastic Pacts play in shaping and scaling up treaty outcomes, particularly with the support of enhanced funding.    🔗 Discover the Executive Summary and Policy Brief https://lnkd.in/guRMVV_t       #ANZPAC #PlasticsPact #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #INC4 #WRAP #EllenMacArthurFoundation 

if we can influence the raters to systematically include the issue of plastics in their ESG assessments of companies, we can ultimately influence market decisions and corporate behavior #Plasticpollution has reached alarming levels globally, with 8.3 billion tons of plastic produced over nearly seven decades, resulting in 6.3 billion tons of waste as of 2015 . However, the numerous environmental, social, and financial risks associated with global plastic pollution have yet to be adequately reflected in ESG ratings. A framework was developed to assess how ESG rating providers address the pressing but often neglected issue of global plastic pollution in their ratings of companies. The assessment criteria were largely informed by relevant international standards and initiatives, as well as research conducted by organisations with significant expertise in the field of plastic. The analysis suggests that ESG ratings often fail to adequately capture the material environmental and social impacts of the activities of companies responsible for single-use plastics production, use, and subsequent pollution, while it is also unclear whether the financial risks that these companies are exposed to are sufficiently acknowledged. On the environmental side, notable omissions include the consideration of companies’ climate impact. Only one provider confirms the consideration of carbon emissions across the plastics value chain, with implications for companies heavily reliant on fossil fuels. There is also a general lack of critical assessment of the ambition, feasibility and impact of companies’ plastics reduction targets. In addition, Most providers address the health aspect of plastics, albeit only partially, while none consider the impact of plastics on social inequality. Private and public investors and financiers often rely heavily on third-party ESG ratings to inform their ESG strategies, meaning that these ratings play an important role in how they perceive companies’ sustainability performance. Integrating plastics-related factors into ESG ratings in a meaningful and comprehensive way would therefore also enable investors to make more informed decisions, assess companies’ sustainability performance more accurately, and identify those companies that are better positioned to thrive in a circular economy. A comprehensive and transparent assessment of plastics risks and impacts would also be of great importance in light of the Global Plastics Treaty currently being negotiated by UN member states. The latest draft for an “international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution” includes financial measures only as an option, proposing that Parties take steps to reduce domestic and international, as well as public and private, financial support for projects that contribute to “emissions and releases to the environment. #Followthemoney #Race2thetop

The report of the 2022 results of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment on plastic makes interesting reading. About 1000 companies and entities globally are members and they have targets to reduce, re-use, recycle and compost plastics by 2025. These include all the major packaging users and producers around the world. The commitment has been in place since 2019. The results show virtually zero progress. Indeed plastic use has grown despite all the pledges. You can see the Executive Summary here. https://lnkd.in/eECm39a3 What is clear is the failure to focus at all on the low hanging fruit, where fossil, non-biodegradable plastics can be substituted by bio-based and biodegradable plastics. These can then go through biogas and composting systems, as Italy, Korea and other places show well and then return to soil with compost. Sounds easy ? It could be, we have all the tecnologies now to make this happen quickly. But it is clear that nobody will make a move until everyone is compelled by law to move together. Although the USA and China are leading the change elsewhere there is little progress. Meanwhile we all fantasise over the day plastics will be recycled- yet recycling is actually declining not rising; and the good people at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will keep on talking, talking. We need courage from our policy makers, support from the waste industry (that mostly wants to burn waste rather than recycle it) and clear communications to our citizens on collection systems. So changing the material is not enough, we have to change the system. We need to introduce the bioeconomy concept. Co2Bioclean technologies will produce PHA (naturally biodegradable) from captured industrial CO2 emissions to contribute to this systemic change. We have no more time to lose. Fabiana Fantinel Alessandro Carfagnini Fead Info Vanya Veras European Bioplastics European Biogas Association Stefanie Siebert Massimo Centemero Percy Foster #bioeconomy #biodegradable #biobased #co2utilization #soilhealth #wastemanagement

Most sustainability professionals agree that global action across the entire lifecycle of #plastics is key to reducing pollution. So, what 3 things should companies consider doing? Following the treaty talks in Ottawa, Jon Smieja, writing for GreenBiz Group, considers where businesses and policy-makers now find themselves... See an introduction to Plastic Treaty Futures, and the full report, here https://lnkd.in/em4bRdg7 https://lnkd.in/e7kd-t4h #plasticstreaty #plastic #circulareconomy #inc4

It’s #EarthDay2024, and this year’s theme of #PlanetVsPlastics recognizes the critical threat that plastics pose to the health of both the planet and humans.     The aim? Reduce plastic production by 60% by 2040 and rapidly phase out single-use plastics.     In tandem, we need to embrace a more circular mindset. Innovation will be key, and we need to invest now in the technologies and materials for a plastic-free future. At Sandvik, we’re aiming to reach 90% material circularity for packaging, products and waste by 2030.     If you want to take action today, you can sign the Global Plastics Treaty here: https://lnkd.in/dcdhWWDg  #EarthDay2024 #PlanetVsPlastics

The Global Plastics Treaty - we just need to reduce unnecessary plastic production and eradicate single use plastic waste. Not since the Paris Accord, has a deal been this crucial in reducing greenhouse gas emissions: strong words with substance from Inger Andersen from United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Data from CDP shows 70% of companies haven’t mapped out their own plan yet - let’s make is an absolute priory - Helen Finlay Global companies are now supporting the Plastic Footprint Network to seek mandatory disclosure within the global plastics treaty for INC-4. Big shouts outs to: Stephen Jamieson from SAP @Packaging IQ 2.0 from Delterra & Systemiq Ltd. - Yonathan (Yoni) Shiran EA - Earth Action WWF Ellen MacArthur Foundation #plasticpollution #sustainability #inc4