London, United Kingdom – The Ellen MacArthur Foundation released its third annual progress report today, which includes unprecedented data on whether or not more than 100 businesses have progressed towards their 2025 targets for a circular economy for plastic.
In response to the report, Graham Forbes, Greenpeace’s Global Plastics Project Leader said:
“While big brands are at long last committing to ‘reduce’ their plastic packaging, the reality is that these big brands remain completely dependent on single-use plastic. Until companies like Coke and Pepsi embrace reuse and move quickly to end their reliance on single-use plastic, they will remain aligned with the fossil fuel industry in making the plastic pollution and climate crises worse.
“It is time for the world’s largest brands to give up their dream of recycled content as a supposed fix to this crisis. It makes no difference to a turtle in our oceans that ingests plastic whether it is ‘virgin’ or ‘recycled’ or ‘plant based.’ And by continuing to advance recycling as the solution, brands are giving license to the fossil fuel industry to produce more plastic.
“The consumer goods sector needs to focus on reuse. If these companies are serious about tackling plastic pollution and addressing climate change, they must set reuse targets of at least 25 percent by 2025 and 50 percent by 2030. The time for false solutions has passed. The oceans, climate, and human health depend on real leadership from the world’s largest companies, not more of the same.”
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Contacts:
Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, +1 301 675 8755, [email protected]
Capucine Dayen, Greenpeace USA Global Comms Lead for Plastics: +33 647 971 819, [email protected]
