US Plastics Pact

The U.S. Plastics Pact is proud to announce the release of the updated Problematic and Unnecessary Materials Report! The report marks a significant step forward in our commitment to enhancing recycling and composting efforts across the plastics value chain. Initially launched in January 2022 as part of our Roadmap to 2025 strategic plan, this report continues to evolve with the inclusion of new materials and formats, along with a comprehensive "Evaluation List" for future consideration. It aims to streamline recycling processes and improve the quality of recycled content available to manufacturers. As ♻️Jonathan Quinn♻️, the CEO of the U.S. Plastics Pact, rightly stated, "Eliminating problematic and unnecessary materials is foundational to achieving a circular economy. This report lays out a clear pathway to removing barriers and driving advancements in circular package design while enhancing recovery opportunities.” Read the Problematic and Unnecessary Materials Report: https://lnkd.in/dA3Uxme8 #RoadmapToCircularity #CircularEconomy #USPlasticsPact

The United Nations’ Global Plastics Treaty fifth session is underway in Busan, South Korea, and underscores the need for – and complexities of – building a circular economy for plastics to end plastic waste. Jeff Young’s Newsweek article highlights the efforts and progress being made, as well as existing roadblocks that must be overcome, which include the affordability of recycled plastic content used in manufacturing. As US Plastics Pact CEO ♻️Jonathan Quinn♻️ tells Newsweek, “We've got to get the price of recycled content in plastics to be as close to the cost of virgin in order to make it financially viable.” #INC5 #Sustainability #Plastics #CircularEconomy #USPlasticsPact

We are closely monitoring this week's negotiations at INC-5 in Busan, South Korea, as global leaders work towards a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution. Key provisions on extended producer responsibility (EPR), recycled content mandates, and design for circularity are of particular interest for the U.S. Plastics Pact, as they have the potential to drive regulatory and market shifts in the plastic packaging industry. As our CEO ♻️Jonathan Quinn♻️ highlights, "These outcomes will have significant downstream impacts on plastic packaging producers and brands." We're proud to support the development of a cohesive global framework that ensures consistency, reduces complexity, and fosters innovation in sustainable packaging solutions. Together, we can create a more circular future for plastics. https://lnkd.in/e4w9E8rK — Packaging Dive | Maria Rachal #INC5 #Sustainability #Plastics #CircularEconomy #USPlasticsPact

The U.S. Plastics Pact and Canada Plastics Pact hosted our seventh Film & Flex technical workshop to provide practical support to our members in converting to monomaterial structures that comply with the design guidelines. These efforts are an important part of making progress toward Target 1 (eliminating problematic and unnecessary materials) & Target 2 (design compliance) and advancing circularity for film and flexible plastic packaging.   November’s session focused on secondary and tertiary packaging such as shrink wrap and pallet stretch wrap. These structures are often overlooked because they don’t always make it to the consumer, but they make up a significant volume of film used in the US, and they are an important source of PCR for future packaging. Shrink wrap and stretch wrap have critical opportunities for proper design, reduction, and PCR inclusion. They also present opportunities for closed loop recycling programs. Speakers from Amcor, Berry Global, Inc., Trioworld (formerly Malpack) and Lantech discussed challenges and opportunities in progressing toward circularity for secondary and tertiary film.   We also heard our best PCR analogy to date: PCR is like a diamond ring – people don’t want to see yellowing or inclusions. So please properly design your film structures!   Thank you to each of these companies for your leadership in innovating circular solutions and helping brand owners make progress on their design commitments. And thank you to each of our fantastic presenters – Filip Milojevic, Katy Hedden, Robert McCollom, Ricardo Cardoso, and Grace Lancaster – for sharing your knowledge and expertise!   Next month’s session will be focused printing challenges. The value chain is coming together to solve these complex issues – come join us!

Meet the panelists for our next event — The Future of Plastics: Reducing Waste and Rethinking Materials. ♻️Jonathan Quinn♻️ is the CEO of The U.S. Plastics Pact. Our panel of experts from industry and academia will explain the global treaty on plastic waste, its impact and how some companies and communities are moving beyond plastic waste and toward a circular economy that keeps plastics in their proper place. Learn more and register for the event: https://lnkd.in/eEnZbnz9

In partnership with the UN Environment Programme, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's just-published #GlobalCommitment24 progress report highlights the strides made by Global Commitment signatories in tackling plastic waste. The report states that in the past six years, over 1,000 organizations, including businesses behind 20% of global plastic packaging and 50+ governments, have come together to support a circular plastics economy. Their collective impacts include: — Keeping 1 barrel of oil in the ground every 2 seconds  — Avoiding 3.4 million tonnes of CO₂ per year (equivalent to the emissions of 750,000 people)  — Preventing 9.6 million tonnes of virgin plastic since 2018, equivalent to 1 trillion single-use plastic bags While great progress has been made, the job is far from done. Plastic pollution continues to grow, and bold action is needed. Explore the report in detail here:  https://lnkd.in/gT-ehJ3s

U.S. Plastics Pact's Crystal Bayliss, Director of Strategy & Engagement, was recently featured on The Sustainiacs podcast with its CEO & Founder, Michael Vincent! In this informative episode, Crystal delves into the crucial topic of Circular Supply Chains, outlining five essential points for achieving circularity within supply chains: Reduce, Re-design, Reclaim, Re-introduce, Re-use. She emphasizes that these elements must work harmoniously; when one aspect falters, full circularity is at risk. Thank you for having us, Sustainiacs! Tune in to the conversation now: https://lnkd.in/gNmV6-fS or https://lnkd.in/gnvJGaJ5

U.S. Plastics Pact CEO ♻️Jonathan Quinn♻️ tells Newsweek that this study published today in the weekly journal Science "can truly change the trajectory of plastic waste" if implemented in the treaty. The policy solutions outlined in "Pathways to reduce global plastic waste mismanagement and greenhouse gas emissions by 2050" — mandating recycled content, reducing virgin plastic production and usage, and implementing Extended Producer Responsibility programs to fund waste management infrastructure, alongside designing plastics to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable — could significantly cut plastic pollution. At the U.S. Plastics Pact, our Activators are already working toward these goals to establish a circular economy for plastics. Global policy support will be essential to building on this progress and making circularity a reality. We look forward to following the fifth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution in Busan later this month. We're also excited that Jonathan Quinn will be a featured panelist at Newsweek’s Horizons series event "The Future of Plastics" on Wednesday, December 4th. Thanks to Jeff Young for including us in this article.  https://lnkd.in/e9c_uPyJ Funding for this study was provided by Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center for Data Science & Environment at UC Berkeley, Harris Family Charitable Gift Fund, and March Marine Initiative. American Association for the Advancement of Science | Sam Pottinger | Roland Geyer | Nivedita R. Biyani, Ph.D | Ciera Martinez, PhD | Neil Nathan | Molly Morse | Chao Liu | Magali de Bruyn | Carl Boettiger | Elijah Baker

Reminder that tomorrow Olivia M., U.S. Plastics Pact Program Coordinator, will be moderating a panel on reuse in the retail sector. We hope to see you there #PACKEXPO!

📢 Final reminder! If you are at #PackExpo, check out the U.S. Plastics Pact’s kiosk at Sustainability Central all week! As a nonprofit organization with members across the entire plastics packaging value chain, we are helping companies make progress on their sustainable packaging goals through its Roadmap 2.0 strategic targets. Learn more about the U.S. Pact’s work in areas like design, recycled content, and policy by visiting our kiosk! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g-scZWYg