Slow Progress Threatens Plastic Waste Targets: EMF Report Warns of Failures

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) recently published a comprehensive review detailing the first five years of the “Global Commitment,” an initiative designed to drive a circular economy in the fight against plastic waste. The report underscores that while there have been pockets of progress, the majority of the set 2025 objectives are on a trajectory towards failure.

This revelation arrives just ahead of the forthcoming International Negotiating Committee (INC-3) for a UN Global Plastics Treaty scheduled in Nairobi, Kenya. EMF’s commitment includes goals to eliminate problematic waste, shift away from single-use items towards reusable formats, reduce the use of virgin plastics, elevate the recycled content, and ensure packaging is recyclable, reusable, or compostable.

Despite the looming likelihood of missing these targets, which currently involve over 1000 signatories representing 20% of the global plastics industry, EMF acknowledges that members have notably outperformed their peers. They have made significant strides in reducing the use of harmful plastic items and have upped their share of recycled content.

Louise Edge, global corporate campaign lead at Greenpeace UK, laments the insufficiency of current corporate strategies in addressing the plastic crisis. The report outlines how plastic’s detrimental impact on health, wildlife, communities, and the climate is becoming increasingly evident. Despite this, the collective use of plastic by signatory companies continues to rise, and production is set to skyrocket.

Certain major companies, including PepsiCo, Mars Incorporated, and Coca-Cola, have witnessed spikes in virgin plastic use while managing minor increases in post-consumer recyclate levels. Greenpeace advocates for these corporations to acknowledge that recycling is insufficient to address the dire impacts and urges a transition away from single-use plastics towards reusable systems.

However, Nestlé’s public affairs lead for Packaging & Sustainability, Jodie Roussell, defended their efforts, noting Nestlé’s reductions in virgin plastic use and packaging weight. Nestlé claims that the focus on food-grade plastic necessitates higher requirements, causing additional scrutiny.

Looking ahead, EMF forecasts a dramatic surge in ocean pollution unless stringent policy and business action intervenes. This urgency aligns with the upcoming INC-3 negotiations, where EMF’s insights and the Global Plastics Treaty offer a unique opportunity to shape a more effective, globally binding framework to combat plastic pollution.

Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, from UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division, underscores the importance of the EMF’s findings in informing action at the INC-3 negotiations, emphasizing the need for cooperation among governments, businesses, and stakeholders to seize this historic opportunity to end plastic pollution.