sustainability — Our Blog | Plastics For Change

Why Are So Many Brands Meeting Their Recycling Goals but Missing Their Recycling Targets?

The brands making the most progress towards their recycling goals are those that integrate sustainability into their core business strategies. Rather than treating it as a standalone initiative, they weave it into the fabric of their operations.

These companies are working closely with organisations that help plug into their existing supply chains, leveraging the principles of the circular economy to secure raw materials in a sustainable way. This approach goes beyond merely setting targets—it involves creating the infrastructure and partnerships essential to achieving those goals.

From Pollution to Solution: How Extended Producer Responsibility is Reshaping the Future of Plastics

Extended Producer Responsibility is a policy approach that extends a producer’s responsibility for a product to the post-consumer stage of its lifecycle. In simpler terms, it means that companies that manufacture, import, or sell plastic products are also responsible for collecting and recycling those products after consumers are done with them.

Closing the Loop: Circular Economy Practices in Supply Chain Management

The path to a circular economy can be challenging. Though things are changing, companies can still face some big hurdles, but the payoff is enormous. Switching to circular models is costly, and companies often balk at the price tag of overhauling their production lines and supply chain. Plus, there's the headache of tracking materials from start to finish.

Reimagining Fashion Packaging: Why Brands Need Strategic Thinking and Sustainable Decisions

Let’s talk about something a little more sustainable. We all love our fashion products, but it’s time to think about how they’re made and where they end up. In the ever-evolving fashion industry, packaging plays a crucial role in shaping a brand’s environmental and economic impact. For brands committed to sustainability, making informed, strategic decisions about packaging is not just a trend—it’s a necessity.

Plastic Waste Management: A Global Framework for Addressing a Growing Environmental Challenge

The Plastic Waste Management Framework underscores the need for a multifaceted approach to combat plastic waste. Countries must adopt contextually tailored strategies that consider their specific national circumstances, infrastructure capacities, and resources. The framework’s emphasis on integrating waste pickers, enforcing EPR, and utilising tools like DRS provides a roadmap for improving plastic waste management systems globally.

10 ways companies can support the Circular Economy

Plastic offset schemes offer a promising solution, allowing businesses to compensate for their plastic use by supporting initiatives that remove or prevent plastic waste. While offsetting shouldn't replace efforts to reduce plastic consumption, it can be a valuable part of a comprehensive sustainability strategy. Here are ten innovative approaches companies can consider in offsetting their plastics.

How is recycled plastic made?

It all starts with you. When you place your plastic items in the recycling bin, you're setting off a chain of events. In India, however, the formal waste collection system often falls short. According to a 2021 report by the Centre for Science and Environment, only 60% of India's plastic waste is collected. The informal sector, including waste pickers, plays a crucial role, collecting up to 60% of plastic waste in some cities.

Safety risks faced by workers in plastic recycling industries

A significant portion of India's plastic recycling workforce operates in the informal sector, comprising individuals from underprivileged backgrounds. Many are migrants from rural areas or belong to socioeconomically disadvantaged groups like Dalits, tribes, and religious minorities, driven by economic necessity to take on this hazardous work. Their precarious financial situation often forces them to prioritise immediate income over personal safety.

The Future of Plastic Waste Management: Opportunities and Challenges

Plastic waste is a big part of the household trash problem, making up about 11% of everything we throw away. That’s a whopping 250 million tons of plastic waste from homes each year, with another 110 million tons coming from factories. We clearly need to find better ways to manage this waste. Plastic has been amazing for consumer goods and packaging, but it takes forever to break down and those tiny microplastics are showing up everywhere – not good news for the environment.

Can the Fashion Industry Break Free from Plastic Addiction?

Going green can’t be a side hustle for fashion anymore. It needs to be at the very core of who they are and what they do. Achieving the goal of reducing environmental impact will require all retailers to think creatively and look for solutions across the value chain, including how products are displayed in stores.

INC-4: A Step Forward, But Can We Do Better?

The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including the marine environment, took place from 23rd to 29th April 2024 at the Shaw Center in Ottawa, Canada. Despite some progress made, the issue with the reduction of plastic production remained unaddressed with various environmental groups expressing their concern about it.

Scope, Measures, and More: What to Expect at INC-4 on Plastic Treaty Negotiations

The world grapples with a growing plastic pollution crisis. Millions of tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, harming marine life and ecosystems. To address this pressing issue, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC).

Knowledgebase

Buy

Action

supply chains you can trust