March\u00a06th\u202f2020\u00a0Launch\u00a0of the\u00a0European\u00a0Plastics\u00a0Pact<\/p>\n
Initially led by France, the Netherlands and Denmark, the European Plastic Pact is a public-private coalition that forms a European network of companies, states and other organisationAs such as NGOs on mastering single-use plastic products and packaging.<\/p>\n
In the face of the proliferation of plastic waste, the aim of the pact is to set ambitious common objectives and to encourage cooperation, innovation and harmonisation at the European level, in order to bring about a truly circular European plastics economy.<\/p>\n
The Pact relies on the \u201cpioneers\u201d in the plastics value chain and on the most committed governments, in order to create a bold movement that will pave the way for the rest of the market.<\/p>\n
Plastics are everywhere in our daily lives, bringing many economic and environmental benefits. Plastics are strong, durable and versatile materials. They enhance comfort, safety and hygiene. Using plastics packaging can increase the shelf life of products and reduce fuel costs in transportation of goods, helping to cut carbon emissions. All this has resulted in a huge surge in plastics production. Over the past fifty years, the global use of plastics has increased twentyfold and is still growing.<\/p>\n
At the same time, plastic waste is increasingly becoming a global problem, as reuse and recycling of plastics have not kept pace. This is because many products and packaging types are not designed for reuse or effective recycling. Not all use of plastics is necessary for product functionality. In addition, collection, sorting and recycling are still underdeveloped. This means a significant proportion of our plastic waste is still being incinerated or goes to landfill, which negatively affect carbon emissions. Another part ends up as litter in our environment, where it may harm wildlife or degrade into potentially harmful microplastics. While all this valuable material is being wasted, the proportion of fossil fuel being used to produce new plastics continues to grow (from 6% of oil production now to an estimated 20% by 2050).<\/p>\n
To tackle plastics waste and pollution at the source, we need to fundamentally rethink the way we produce, use and reuse plastics. No single organisation or individual can do this on its own. It requires a systemic shift, involving collective action by businesses from across the plastics value chain, governments, and civil society. A common vision aligns all actors on a joint understanding of what good looks like. It guides the search for solutions and aligns actions taken in the European Plastics Pact on a common sense of direction.<\/p>\n
For plastics, the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy has set out a vision for a plastics circular economy in the EU. For plastic packaging, the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme, has united more than 400 organisations from across the global plastics packaging value chain behind a common vision of a circular economy for plastics. These include plastic packaging producers, consumer goods companies, retailers, companies involved in the collection, sorting and recycling of plastics, as well as national, regional and city governments, NGOs, financial institutions, industry associations, universities and other international organisations such as the World Economic Forum and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). National plastics pacts, such as The French National Pact on Plastic Packaging, the Plastics Pact NL and the UK Plastics Pact have taken action towards the same common vision for a circular economy for plastics. The European Plastics Pact adopts this vision, as this provides a global framework for our actions.<\/p>\n
Infographic\u00a0European\u00a0Plastics\u00a0Pact<\/p>\n
To\u00a0design\u00a0all\u00a0plastic\u00a0packaging\u00a0and\u00a0single-use\u00a0plastic\u00a0products\u00a0brought\u00a0to\u00a0the market\u00a0by\u00a0participants\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0reusable\u00a0where\u00a0possible, and in\u00a0all\u00a0cases\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0recyclable\u00a0by\u00a02025.<\/p>\n
To\u00a0shift\u00a0towards\u00a0a\u00a0more\u00a0responsible\u00a0use\u00a0of\u00a0plastic\u00a0packaging\u00a0and\u00a0single-use\u00a0plastic\u00a0products,\u00a0aiming\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0reduction\u00a0in\u00a0virgin\u00a0plastic\u00a0products\u00a0and\u00a0packaging\u00a0of at\u00a0least\u00a020% (by\u00a0weight)\u00a0by\u00a02025,\u00a0with\u00a0half\u00a0of\u00a0this\u00a0reduction\u00a0coming\u00a0from\u00a0an\u00a0absolute\u00a0reduction\u00a0of\u00a0plastics.<\/p>\n
To\u00a0raise\u00a0the\u00a0collection,\u00a0sorting\u00a0and recycling\u00a0capacity\u00a0in the\u00a0involved\u00a0countries\u00a0of\u00a0all\u00a0plastics\u00a0used\u00a0in\u00a0packaging\u00a0and\u00a0single\u00a0use\u00a0products\u00a0by\u00a0at\u00a0least\u00a025\u00a0percentage\u00a0points\u00a0by\u00a02025 and\u00a0to\u00a0reach\u00a0a\u00a0quality\u00a0standard\u00a0of the\u00a0output\u00a0of the\u00a0collection,\u00a0sorting, and recycling\u00a0process\u00a0that\u00a0matches\u00a0market\u00a0demand\u00a0for\u00a0recycled\u00a0plastics.<\/p>\n
To\u00a0boost\u00a0recycled\u00a0plastics\u00a0use\u00a0in\u00a0new\u00a0products\u00a0and\u00a0packaging\u00a0as\u00a0much\u00a0as\u00a0possible\u00a0by\u00a02025,\u00a0with\u00a0plastics-using\u00a0company\u00a0achieving\u00a0an\u00a0average\u00a0of at\u00a0least\u00a030%\u00a0recycled\u00a0plastics\u00a0(in\u00a0weight) in\u00a0their\u00a0range\u00a0of\u00a0products\u00a0and\u00a0packaging.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
New initiative for a circular plastics economy<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n