Joining in on Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s (EMF, Cowes / UK; www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org) global “Plastics Pact” network (see Plasteurope.com of 09.03.2020), is Canada, with the recently launched “Canada Plastics Pact” (CPP). Around 40 players, including businesses, policymakers, government and NGOs have joined the pact to work towards a circular economy for plastics in the North American country. Since 2013, there has been a gradual decline in Canada’s post-consumer plastics waste collection, as reported by More Recycling (MORE, Sonoma, California / USA; www.morerecycling.com) in 2019 (see Plasteurope.com of 16.09.2019).

The founding partners of the pact include some big names like Coca-Cola Canada, Danone Canada, David Suzuki Foundation, Keurig Dr Pepper Canada, Kraft Heinz Canada, Nestlé Canada, Unilever Canada and Walmart Canada. David Hughes, CEO of The Natural Step Canada, the host organisation of the CPP, said, “While I am impressed by their [the businesses’] commitment to achieving a zero plastic-waste economy, it is their willingness to break down barriers between each other to scale innovative solutions that I find most inspiring.”

The pact aims to work towards the following goals, with a target of achieving them by 2025, a roadmap for which is yet to be designed:

• List plastic packaging that is labelled as problematic or unnecessary, and take measures to eliminate them
• Efforts towards making 100% of plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable
• Actions to ensure that at least 50% of plastic packaging is recycled or composted
• Ensure an average of at least 30% recycled content across all plastic packaging (by weight)

Sonja Wegge, Plastics Pact programme manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said, “We hope to see many other organisations unite behind the vision of a circular economy for plastic that has already brought together more than 1,000 organisations worldwide through our New Plastics Economy initiative.”

About six months ago, in August 2020, the US created a Plastics Pact alliance – the North American platform of EMF’s Plastics Pact network (see Plasteurope.com of 31.08.2020) – which is also following the steps outlined in the “New Plastics Economy” initiative developed by EMF.