PARIS (News release) - Amcor, Delterra, Mars and P&G jointly announced the launch of a strategic partnership to stem the tide of plastic pollution in the Global South. These global leaders will work together to scale upstream and downstream solutions for a circular plastics economy, jointly committing $6 million USD over five years.
The announcement comes in the lead-up to the second negotiating committee meeting for a Global Plastics Treaty (INC-2), working to develop a globally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
The partners are coming together with a shared commitment to urgent environmental action and a shared understanding that the challenge of plastic pollution cannot be solved without a systemic and holistic approach to roll out scalable and sustainable programs to boost the transition to a circular economy. The strategic partners call on like-minded organizations to join this first group and add their support to drive real change, at scale.
Recognizing that plastic pollution is a symptom of the broader issue of underperforming or non-existent waste management and circularity solutions, the partnership is committed to investing in innovative programs along the full value chain:
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upstream, stemming plastic pollution at source by designing waste out of the system with Delterra's global roll out of Plastic IQ, a digital tool that is changing the way companies understand and improve their plastic footprint
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downstream, working on the supply and demand side to capture recyclable and compostable materials and return them to productive use with Delterra's Rethinking Recycling program
- while innovating material traceability solutions to provide transparency on matters such as source, quality and ethical concerns along the recycling value chain.
The partnership will focus on countries of the Global South, starting in Indonesia, Argentina and Brazil, and aim to provide easy access to waste management and recycling systems to 10 million people. The partners will explore new ways to drive true systems change and to innovate beyond each organization's individual realm to positively impact the entire ecosystem.
Dr. Shannon Bouton, President & CEO at Delterra remarked, "We are thrilled to be partnering with Amcor, Mars and P&G on our joint mission of eliminating waste in the environment. Solving plastic pollution and indeed the broader waste crisis, requires a rethinking of the way we produce and manage waste. This includes a rapid expansion of waste collection and sortation and reliable recycling markets, alongside a deeper redesign of how we consume. We are inspired that these organizations are stepping up to this challenge alongside Delterra and we invite more companies to join this growing partnership."
David Clark, Vice President, Sustainability at Amcor commented, "This partnership of leaders from the packaging value chain will make a real difference in creating a circular economy for packaging and eliminating plastic waste from the environment. Our partnership with Delterra in Latin America has shown us that shared commitments enable great progress when working collaboratively. We understand the critical importance of stemming pollution at the source by designing waste out of the system and returning plastic into the value chain as recycled content. This strategic partnership is a milestone achievement towards this ultimate goal."
Allison Lin, Global VP Packaging Sustainability at Mars said, "We are excited about this partnership with Delterra and like-minded peers in the industry. We want to demonstrate that we can create successful programs for waste management and recycling systems particularly in the Global South, that currently lacks the infrastructure we need to stop plastic pollution. Scale will enable these systems to be self-sustained and ultimately, protect people and planet while at the same time creating value for local communities. We call on all parties gathering in Paris for the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations to agree on a regulatory framework that enables the creation of effective waste management infrastructure systems everywhere in the world."
Stacie Hecht, Packaging & Waste Leader - Global Sustainability at Procter & Gamble stated, "We are excited to partner with Delterra. It will take the entire value chain - including businesses like P&G - to prove out new circular business models while improving waste management."
Amcor, Delterra, Mars and P&G share a common vision for a world where human activities protect and restore a healthy planet and are calling on likeminded organizations to join this strategic partnership to help drive impact at scale and deliver against our collective goals.
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