While many in the personal care and beauty industries have been making strides to be more environmentally friendly, a new initiative launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is taking it one step further. This launch unites major players across all industries to reduce worldwide wasting of single use plastics.
Called the New Plastics Economy, it asks companies and corporations involved to work toward using 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by the year 2025. So far, 11 companies have joined up including Unilever and L’Oreal.
“It is welcome news that many other major companies are making their own commitments to address ocean plastic waste. Yet as a consumer goods industry, we need to go much further, much faster, in addressing the challenge of single use plastics by leading a transition away from the linear take-make-dispose model of consumption, to one which is truly circular by design,” said CEO of Unilever Paul Polman said in a press release.
The goal is to encourage collaboration between industries to innovate a new plastics system that actually works. According to New Plastics Economy, currently only 14% of plastics are recycled leading to $80-$120 billion in waste. The way that we make, use, and recycle plastic needs to be completely rethought in order to change this cycle.
For more information, visit the New Plastics Economy website.