World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) ReSource: Plastic programme released its third annual public report, Transparent 2022, which reveals how some of the world’s largest brands are measuring up to their commitments to tackle the plastic waste crisis.
The report reviewed the plastic footprints progress from 2020 to 2021 of ReSource Members Amcor, Colgate-Palmolive, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Keurig Dr Pepper, McDonald’s Corporation, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks and The Coca-Cola Company.
WWF says that among the year-over-year findings for legacy Members were positive incremental improvements across aspects of their supply chains including an overall reduction of “problematic plastics” by 3,100 metric tons and a 35% increase in the use of recycled content.
In the past year, WWF continues that ReSource Members have taken critical actions to support the widescale adoption of reuse systems while advocating to advance a global plastic treaty and investing in innovative solutions and business models to support the transition to circularity.
Measurement and data sharing are critical first steps. The next, more challenging step is ramping up the pace of progress.
However, WWF says that despite this progress, the total tonnage of plastic produced by these companies increased by 5.3% in 2021, due in part to a rebound in volumes after pandemic-related declines.
The report highlights the progress across Member companies “beyond their supply chain” activities, which are efforts not necessarily reflected in the annual plastic portfolio results, but instead are a direct response to the data-driven recommendations made in previous Transparent reports.
WWF says ReSource was launched in 2019 to tap into the potential of 100 companies to prevent up to 50M metric tons of plastic waste by closing the “how” gap for corporate action on the plastic waste crisis. The annual publication provides recommendations for action that the WWF says have the potential to catalyse systems change, both internal to company supply chains and across wider multi-stakeholder efforts.
Commentating on the report, Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste and Business at World Wildlife Fund, Erin Simon, said: “ReSource members are taking their plastic waste footprint seriously and being transparent about how they are working to address it. Measurement and data sharing are critical first steps. The next, more challenging step is ramping up the pace of progress.
“There is a path forward. This will be difficult but it’s still very possible to meet our goals. The investments we’re seeing beyond the supply chain are a good example of the ambition I want to see in all areas, and they will continue to accelerate the systems change we need to solve the global plastics crisis.”
