Forty-two businesses, including brands, manufacturers and retailers right through to plastic reprocessors and packaging suppliers committed to The UK Plastics Pact, launched by sustainability experts Wrap.
The pact brings together businesses from across the entire plastics value chain with UK governments and NGOs to tackle the scourge of plastic waste. These pact members are responsible for over 80% of the plastic packaging on products sold through UK supermarkets.
Wrap CEO, Marcus Gover, said, ‘Together, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink and reshape the future of plastic so that we retain its value, and curtail the damage plastic waste wreaks on our planet. This requires a wholescale transformation of the plastics system and can only be achieved by bringing together all links in the chain under a shared commitment to act. That is what makes the UK Plastics Pact unique. It unites every body, business and organisation with a will to act on plastic pollution. We will never have a better time to act, and together we can.’
The UK Plastics Pact is the first of its kind in the world. It will be replicated in other countries to form a powerful global movement for change as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative.
Ellen MacArthur, record breaking yachtswoman and founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said, ‘We are delighted to launch this pioneering national implementation initiative with WRAP in the UK. This bold new pact will bring together businesses, policymakers and the public to create a circular economy for plastics that tackles the causes of plastics waste and pollution, not just the symptoms. Focusing on innovation, better packaging design and end-of-use systems will not only generate long-term benefits for the environment, but is also a huge economic opportunity. We encourage others around the world to help drive this momentum towards finding global solutions to what is a global problem.’
Environment secretary, Michael Gove, said, ‘Our ambition to eliminate avoidable plastic waste will only be realised if government, businesses and the public work together. Industry action can prevent excess plastic reaching our supermarket shelves in the first place. I am delighted to see so many businesses sign up to this pact and I hope others will soon follow suit.’
