Out of isolation: European Plastics Pact joins MacArthur Foundation’s global network to ignite worldwide circularity

09 Apr 2020 --- The European Plastics Pact has become the first regional Pact to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's global Plastics Pact network. Together, the 81 members of the European Plastics Pact have committed to a set of ambitious 2025 targets, including making all plastic packaging recyclable and reusable where possible. Sonja Wegge, Plastics Pact Program Leader at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, tells PackagingInsights that while the European Plastics Pact will inspire eco-friendly packaging solutions that work effectively in a regional context, the Pact’s involvement in the global Plastics Pact network will extend innovation and collaboration to the global arena.

Launched this week in Brussels, The European Plastics Pact brings together governments and businesses within the European Economic Area to work towards a common vision for a circular economy for plastic, in which plastics never become waste or pollution.

The Pact was initiated by the French Ministry of the Ecological and Solidary Transition, the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food, in consultation with more than 80 organizations from across Europe, and with the support of WRAP.

Together, the 81 members of the European Plastics Pact have committed to a set of ambitious 2025 targets. They include:

• Make all plastic packaging and single-use plastic products reusable where possible, and in all cases recyclable;
• Reduce the need for virgin plastic products and packaging by at least 20 percent;
• Increase the collection, sorting and recycling capacity of all plastics used in packaging and single-use products in participating countries by at least 25 percentage points;
• Boost the use of recycled plastics as much as possible, with an average of at least 30 percent recycled plastics across single-use plastic products and packaging.

European Plastics Pact members include 17 national and regional governments and 72 businesses.As the first regional Pact in the network, the European Plastics Pact focuses on opportunities to drive ambitious action across country borders. Its members will:

• Cooperate across the value chain on a European scale to boost the development of smarter techniques and approaches;
• Harmonize guidelines, standards, and national supporting frameworks;
• Connect to share best practices and lessons learned across Europe.

Members of the European Plastics Pact include 17 national and regional governments and 72 businesses. Progress will be monitored and reported each year by all signatories with a Secretariat keeping track of the results.

The European Plastics Pact joins the UK, France, Chile, the Netherlands, South Africa and Portugal as part of the global Plastics Pact network.

The development of a regional Plastics Pact for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Island Nations has also been announced. The ANZPAC Plastics Pact was announced by The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) at the Federal Government’s National Plastics Summit in Canberra, Australia, on March 2.

A global solution to a global crisis
There are benefits to having both national and regional Plastics Pacts, as well as bringing together a global network of Pacts, according to Wegge. Plastic waste and pollution is a global problem, and solutions must therefore also work on a global scale.The Ellen MacArthur Foundation illustrates that the circular economy model is good for both the environment and business.

“Plastic packaging and products routinely cross country borders – it is common for them to be produced in one country, sold in another and recycled in a third. Yet, solutions are often developed in isolation. To overcome fragmentation and move to a plastics system where waste and pollution are designed out, it is crucial to develop solutions that work effectively and viably in practice and at scale in local contexts, while also fitting into the global economy,” she tells PackagingInsights.

Good for the environment, good for business
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an influential advocate for the transition away from today’s linear take-make-waste model to a circular economy by fundamentally rethinking the way we design, use and reuse plastics. Wegge reaffirms that the circular economy model is not only good for the environment but also a significant business opportunity.

“Currently, most plastic packaging is used only once, with 95 percent of its material, worth US$80-120 billion annually, lost from the economy. Without fundamental redesign and innovation, about 30 percent of plastic packaging will never be reused or recycled. We cannot recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis, so reuse models, which provide an economically attractive opportunity for at least 20 percent of plastic packaging, will also need to be implemented in practice and at scale.”The UK is set to remove 1.1 billion problematic plastic items by the end of the year.

Progress and potential
Since the launch of the first Plastics Pact in the UK in 2018, there are now seven national and regional Plastics Pacts across Europe, Latin America and Africa, all working towards a common vision of a circular economy for plastic.

Wegge indicates that there are further Plastics Pacts in development in other geographies around the world, which will bolster and grow this global movement. In many countries, it is the first time businesses, governments and NGOs have come together behind a common vision for a circular economy for plastics.

“Aligning on a specific set of joint, local targets, and defining the key focus areas within a country or region to drive action towards a circular economy are important first steps. It changes the conversation from ‘what are we going to do’ to ‘how are we going to do it,’” Wegge concludes.

The most recent progress report of the first Plastics Pact, the UK Plastics Pact led by government-backed charity WRAP, which launched in April 2018, has demonstrated important initial progress, including:

• 1.1 billion problematic or unnecessary plastic items identified and set to be eliminated by the end of 2020;
• More than £90 million (US$112 million) being invested in recycling capacity in the UK;
• An increase in recycled materials included in plastic packaging of products in UK supermarkets;
• Collaborative action groups exploring solutions such as reuse and refill business models.

By Joshua Poole