Multinational 3R Initiative a “blatant greenwashing,” claims Plastic Soup Foundation
19 Jun 2019 --- The Plastic Soup Foundation has criticized Danone and Nestlé’s recently announced cooperation in the 3R Initiative to “reduce, reuse and recycle” packaging waste, claiming that it is representative of how multinationals are failing to effectively address and take responsibility for the rising tide of plastic pollution. Maria Westerbos, Managing Director of Plastic Soup claims that FMCG involvement in the 3R Initiative is an example of “blatant greenwashing that will lead to many more plastic packaged products being sold worldwide in years to come, instead of less.”
At the Responsible Business Summit in London this month, it was announced that Danone, Nestlé, Veolia and Tetra Pak will joining the 3R Initiative. The 3R Initiative is designed to curb the rapidly increasing plastic pollution problem by promoting recycling and through the introduction of a new credit system.
Participating companies will be able to use the 3R Crediting Mechanism to buy credits in projects aimed at cleaning up and recycling. In particular, African, Southeast Asian and South American projects can be financed in this way. There are twelve such projects. The sale of “plastic waste recovery credits” is an attempt to incentivize waste pickers with increased income.
“It’s exciting to be part of creating a much-needed scheme to increase plastic recovery and boost recycling rates globally,” comments Mario Abreu, Tetra Pak’s Global Vice President for Sustainability.
“This innovative 3R mechanism – Reduce, Recover, Recycle – is the brainchild of experts coming together, rolling up their sleeves and taking on the challenge of improving waste collection,” Abreu adds.
Plastic Soup agrees that there is a need to generate value for waste, especially in countries where waste is not collected and recycled systematically, but believes the 3R Initiative’s strategy to achieve this is “an illusion with measures that offer no relief.” Plastic Soup claims that measures that can have a real impact in solving the plastic pollution crisis are “predictably absent” from the 3R Initiative, including:
- Embracing annual reduction targets of packaging plastics to eventually banish these entirely;
- Offering full transparency about the total annual production of plastics used per brand and not just per item;
- Eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastics, such as the mini packs, immediately;
- Investing in reusable packaging and ensuring that adequate logistic processes are used.
“The 3R Initiative is aimed at not taking the measures that need to be taken. It is an example of blatant greenwashing that will lead to many more plastic packaged products being sold worldwide in years to come, instead of less. At the same time, there is not a single guarantee that less plastic will end up in the oceans,” Westerbos warns.
Plastic production will increase by 40 percent over the next ten years and companies want to fully exploit that growth, according to Plastic Soup. No initiative to reduce the ‘plastic soup’ has yet stood in the way of the continuing growth of plastic use, the Foundation says.
“Whether it’s McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Unilever or Coca-Cola, they all come up with false solutions. These are measures which, on the one hand, suggest that the plastic soup is being addressed, but, on the other hand, do nothing at all to slow down growth,” Plastic Soup concludes.
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