The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Plastics Pact network expands further with the launch of the U.S. Plastics Pact at Circularity20. The Pact is led by The Recycling Partnership, with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Ensuring plastic never becomes waste in the world’s largest economy will require unprecedented levels of innovation and collaboration. Today, more than 60 signatories unite behind a common vision for a circular economy for plastic, including businesses, government agencies, NGOs, universities, trade bodies, and investors. Together, the members of the first Plastics Pact in North America, aim to:
- Define a list of plastic packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary by 2021, and take measures to eliminate them by 2025
- Ensure all plastic packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025
- Undertake ambitious actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging by 2025
- Ensure the average proportion of recycled content or responsibly-sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging reaches 30% by 2025
Progress against these targets will be reported publicly on an annual basis.
The U.S. Plastics Pact joins other national Pacts (in the UK, France, Chile, The Netherlands, South Africa and Portugal) as well as the regional European Plastics Pact as members of the global Plastics Pact network led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. This unique platform drives ambitious action towards a common vision for a circular economy for plastics, exchanging insights and best practices across countries and regions to accelerate the transition.
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“This is an exciting step on the journey towards a circular economy for plastic in the United States, one that keeps plastic in the economy and out of the environment. This effort will not only help to create solutions in the US, but across the world, as part of our global network of Plastics Pacts. We are looking forward to working with all those involved to drive real change, by eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic items, innovating to ensure all plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circulating it in practice. We encourage others to join us on this journey towards a United States free of plastic waste and pollution.” Sander Defruyt, New Plastics Economy Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
“Together through the U.S. Plastics Pact, we will ignite systems change to accelerate progress toward a circular economy. As the lead organization that engages the full supply chain to advance circularity in the U.S., it’s a natural fit for The Recycling Partnership to further collaborative action with other industry leaders to create substantial, long-lasting change for the betterment of our planet. The results from the U.S. Plastics Pact’s efforts to advance packaging, improve recycling, and reduce plastic waste will benefit the entire system and all materials.” Sarah Dearman, VP of Circular Ventures at The Recycling Partnership
“Plastic pollution is a global crisis that needs local solutions, and the United States is one of biggest opportunities where regional interventions can result in transformative change around the world. To do this, WWF sees the U.S. Plastics Pact as the linchpin for uniting the critical stakeholders—industry leaders, waste management systems and policymakers—under a common vision and action plan for meaningful, measurable impact.” Erin Simon, Head, Plastic Waste and Business at the World Wildlife Fund
