PR87092

PARIS, Dec. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Thirty-six members of The Consumer Goods Forum commit to curb plastic pollution

problem in new CEO-led Plastic Waste Coalition of Action

With development of first two "Golden Design Rules," companies with a

collective annual revenue of more than 1 trillion euros aim to reduce plastic

use and improve recyclability by phasing out problematic materials, colours and

labels from their packaging

New position paper on optimal Extended Producer Responsibility programme framework

promotes industry-led solutions to strengthen and expand recycling systems worldwide

Demonstrating global leadership in the consumer goods industry's effort to

tackle the plastic pollution challenge and help advance a world where no

plastic waste ends up in nature, the Plastic Waste Coalition of Action

[https://www.tcgfplasticwaste.com/?utm_source=press-release&utm_medium=newswires&utm_campaign=plastics-pr-newswires ]

from The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) today announces the first critical advances

made by Coalition members to transform the industry's relationship with plastic packaging.

Focused on key packaging design changes and the development of a framework for

optimal Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programmes, these actions

illustrate the Coalition's leading role in the industry to reduce plastic waste

by driving tangible, scalable actions that will impact the quality and recyclability of

plastic packaging, and support waste management schemes around the world.

The development of the new Coalition earlier this year builds on the CGF's 2018

endorsement of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Global

Commitment. The Coalition's vision of driving progress towards the New Plastics

Economy is embodied in its four main priorities:

- adopting plastic packaging design guidelines to reduce the amount of plastic

used in packaging, and increase its value, quality and recyclability;

- aligning on a framework for EPR programmes to support the improvement and

development of waste management systems worldwide;

- supporting recycling innovations; and

- piloting new programmes in advanced and transitional markets to increase recycling rates.

Advancing on their first priority, Coalition members have finalised the first

two of a series of "Golden Design Rules" for the design of plastic packaging

which are designed to accelerate progress towards their aim of using less and

better plastic. These rules aim to help reduce the complexity of the recycling

process for different types of materials, thereby increasing recycling rates.

These first two focus on increasing the value of PET bottle recycling and

removing problematic elements from packaging, such as carbon black, PVC

(polyvinyl chloride) and EPS (expanded polystyrene), which complicate the

recycling process. Consumers will be able to see the impact of these changes as

everyday products such as single-use bottles, toiletries, household cleaning

supplies, food wrappers and take-away containers will be packaged in materials

that can be recycled more easily.

Coalition members from around the world, with a shared revenue of more than 1

trillion euros and representing more than 10 percent of the global plastic

packaging market, have committed to adopting these rules wherever possible by

2025. These commitments come after identifying and prioritising opportunities

in their packaging portfolios where they can make targeted and valuable impact.

They also commit to reporting on their implementation of the rules through a

simple process aligned with Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy

Global Commitment reporting. Details of what these first two rules entail and

which members have adopted them are available on the Coalition's website.

Additionally, Coalition members have released a new position paper, "Building a

Circular Economy for Packaging: A View from the Consumer Goods Industry on

Optimal Extended Producer Responsibility," which provides a framework for the

development and implementation of EPR programmes around the world. Recognising

that the industry can't achieve a circular economy working on its own, the

Coalition supports the development of EPR programmes as a way to help

facilitate industry and government collaboration on improved waste management.

Coalition members will be able to use this framework to guide their engagement

with markets around the world and help provide effective support for local

recycling schemes. The paper is available for download on the Coalition's website.

These actions on both Design and EPR are overseen by the Coalition's

leadership. The Coalition is sponsored at the CGF Board level by Alan Jope,

CEO, Unilever, and Galen Weston, Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited.

Its Steering Committee is co-chaired by Barry Parkin, Chief Procurement and

Sustainability Officer, Mars, Incorporated, and Robert Nicol, Vice President of

Corporate Affairs, Walmart Canada.

Alan Jope, CEO, Unilever, said, "We must urgently take action to stop plastic

waste and move to a circular model. This is the number one priority for us as a

Coalition. No one business can achieve this on its own, which is why we've

joined forces to drive change across our own industry and to hopefully set an

example for other sectors."

Galen Weston, Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited, said, "Our industry

generates a substantial share of the world's plastic waste. As the companies

that design, package, and sell the products, we must be a substantial part of

the solution. As a Coalition, we actively support impactful decisions, and

thoughtful policies that reduce plastic waste."

Ramon Laguarta, CEO, PepsiCo, said, "Our industry is taking vital steps to

address packaging waste and plastic pollution, including material and design

innovation, new packaging formats and systems, and building better recycling

programs. We know the public sector has an important role to play. A spirit of

public-private partnership lies at the heart of our new guidance around

optimizing extended producer responsibility systems."

Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart, said, "The continued and widespread use of plastic

in our industry has brought into focus the need for swift action to reverse its

negative effects on our planet and people – industry has taken steps, but, so

far, our work has not been enough. The CGF Plastic Waste Coalition is taking a

bold step in the right direction, creating much-needed packaging design rules

to encourage collective action. This work is critical to our own goal of

becoming a regenerative company – one that restores, renews, and replenishes –

and we're eager to make progress together."

The 36 member companies of the Plastic Waste Coalition are: Amcor, Barilla, Bel

Group, Beijing Hualian Group, Carrefour, The Coca-Cola Company,

Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dairy Farm, Essity, Grupo Bimbo, GSK, Henkel, ICA,

Jerónimo Martins, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health, Kao Corporation, Land

O'Lakes, L'Oréal, Loblaw Companies Limited, Mars, Incorporated, Merck Animal

Health, Mondelçz International, Nestlé, NTUC Fairprice, PepsiCo, Procter &

Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Rewe Group, Sainsbury's, SC Johnson, SIG Combibloc

Group, Tetra Pak, Unilever PLC, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and Walmart.

About The Consumer Goods Forum's Coalition of Action on Plastic Waste

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") Coalition of Action on Plastic Waste was

founded in 2020 with the aim of developing a more circular approach to the

development and processing of plastic packaging in the consumer goods industry.

The development of the Coalition builds off the CGF's 2018 endorsement of the

Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy. As a CEO-led group of 36

committed and innovative retailers and manufacturers, the Coalition's vision of

accelerating progress towards the New Plastics Economy is embodied by its

central aims for members to work towards implementing impactful measures

through multi-stakeholder collaborations that will help make circularity the

norm in the industry. For more information about the CGF's work reducing

plastic waste, visit www.tcgfplasticwaste.com.

About The Consumer Goods Forum

The Consumer Goods Forum ("CGF") is a global, parity-based industry network

that is driven by its members to encourage the global adoption of practices and

standards that serves the consumer goods industry worldwide. It brings together

the CEOs and senior management of some 400 retailers, manufacturers, service

providers, and other stakeholders across 70 countries, and it reflects the

diversity of the industry in geography, size, product category and format. Its

member companies have combined sales of EUR 3.5 trillion and directly employ

nearly 10 million people, with a further 90 million related jobs estimated

along the value chain. It is governed by its Board of Directors, which

comprises 58 manufacturer and retailer CEOs. For more information, please

visit: www.theconsumergoodsforum.com.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1279200/The_Consumer_Goods_Forum_Logo.jpg

SOURCE: The Consumer Goods Forum