15 big brands including Coca-Cola, Danone, L’Oreal, Marks & Spencer, Mars, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever endorse Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report, “The New Plastics Economy — Catalyzing Action,” released at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos
The report was also endorsed by 40 global leaders. It recommended replacing polystyrene (PS), expanded polystyrene (EPS), and polyvinyl chloride as packaging materials globally. The report singled out these three materials as “uncommon” plastic packaging materials whose replacement would make a “huge impact.” Replacing PVC, EPS, and PS would enhance the economics of recycling and reduce the potential negative impact of these materials as “substances of concern.” It noted that EPS is often used for takeout food packaging but is rarely recycled and often contaminated with waste food, making it harder to recycle.
The report was endorsed by leaders of 15 big brands including Coca-Cola Co, Danone, L’Oreal, Marks & Spencer, Mars, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever. Another prominent signatory was Dow Chemical Co., a manufacturer of styrene, polystyrene and the vinyl chloride monomer used to make PVC. Dow’s CEO Andrew Liveris praised the report as “a key step in delivering science-based solutions by providing options that help us close resource loops for plastics…” EPS has estimated annual global sales of $13.2 billion.
More than 500 NGOs globally launched a campaign called Break Free From Plastic last September, which appears to be gearing up to press for phase out of wasteful single use plastic applications, which have become commonplace in our convenience-centered society.
