With interest growing in the implementation of Circular Economy programmes, Emma Trevor, Valpak’s International Account Manager, discusses how the US Plastics Pact aims to prevent plastics continuing to be a problematic waste.
As part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network and with support from the WWF, The US Plastics Pact is led by The Recycling Partnership and aims to tackle the issue of plastics pollution at the source. Simply put, and as with all countries in the network, the purpose of the US Plastics Pact is to prevent plastics from ever becoming waste and, ultimately, for the use of plastics to become fully disconnected from the use of finite resources.
With a vision of facilitating the change required for a circular economy for plastics to be brought to fruition, the Pact enables both companies and government entities to work collaboratively towards a common goal, which would otherwise remain unachievable. One example of such alliance is the partnership between Chilean brand Algramo and two companies endorsing the US Plastics Pact – Colgate-Palmolive and The Clorox Company, which is set to expand the US distribution of reusable household cleaning and personal care products.
This is an exciting step on the journey towards a circular economy for plastic in the United States, one that keeps plastic in the economy and out of the environment. This effort will not only help to create solutions in the US, but across the world, as part of our global network of Plastics Pacts.
Whilst the predominant goal of the US Pact is clearly to advance towards a circular economy for plastics, there are some specific targets which have been set for this vision to become common practice. These objectives are as follows:
For these goals to become attainable, the way in which plastics are designed, used and reused will also have to be reconsidered.
Progress on these targets is to be reported annually and will be publicly available through the WWF’s ReSource – Plastic Footprint Tracker.
With signatories such as Unilever US, The Coca-Cola Company and Walmart, it’s clear to see that companies are keen to show their support for and participation in the next steps towards a greener economy. Being spearheaded by such pioneering corporations in a country as influential as the US, the US Plastics Pact is sure to act as a catalyst for change, driving advancements in the way we design and use our plastics all over the globe.
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