The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) today welcomed 12 new companies from across the plastics value chain, including Chinese state-owned Sinopec. The new members expand both the global footprint of the Alliance and the participation of companies across the plastics value chain seeking to develop and bring to scale solutions to help eliminate plastic waste in the environment.
"As leaders of companies that represent the full-spectrum of the plastics value chain, we are acutely aware that plastic waste in our environment is a serious and growing problem, especially in our oceans. This complex, global challenge requires a comprehensive approach across the plastics life-cycle, and we are committed to bringing forth sustainable solutions," said David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Procter & Gamble and Chairman of the AEPW, speaking earlier this week from the New York Stock Exchange.
Launched in January 2019 with 27 founding members, the Alliance now includes 39 companies around the world that make, use, sell, process, collect, and recycle plastics. This includes chemical and plastic manufacturers, consumer goods companies, retailers, converters, and waste management companies. Member companies have committed over $1.0 billion with the goal of investing $1.5 billion over the next five years to help end plastic waste in the environment. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development is a founding strategic partner.
By bringing together the entire plastics value chain, the Alliance will apply the expertise of each sector, the collective resources and reach of companies from around the world, and insights from those that operate in the regions where the challenge is greatest. Together, Alliance members have developed a global vision and a comprehensive, integrated strategy focusing on:
• Infrastructure development to collect and manage waste and increase recycling, especially in developing countries where the need is greatest; • Innovation to advance and scale new technologies that minimise waste, make recycling and recovering plastics easier and create value from all post-use plastics; • Education and engagement of governments at all levels, businesses, and communities to mobilize action; and, • Clean up of concentrated areas of plastic waste already in the environment, particularly major rivers that that carry vast amounts of land-based plastic waste to the ocean.
Companies included in today's announcement include some of the world's leading companies in packaging, collection, sorting and recycling solutions; the food and beverage industry; and chemical and plastics production. They are: EQUATE Petrochemical Company, Gemini Corporation, Grupo Phoenix, Mondi, Novolex, PepsiCo, Sealed Air Corporation, Sinopec, SKC co., ltd., Storopack, TOMRA, and Westlake Chemical Corporation.
"By advancing a globally coordinated effort focused on recovering, recycling, and reusing plastics, we will develop a global business model that creates value from waste, making it a resource rather than a throw away," added Taylor. "By working together to implement solutions across continents, we can tackle this problem and continue to support the growing needs of a more prosperous and healthy world. Ending plastic waste takes a coordinated effort, and we are moving with urgency to meet the challenge."
