United against plastic waste

30 global companies joined forces to create Alliance to End Plastic Waste.


Some 30 companies fr om across the supply chain of plastic and consumer goods came together to form the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). The organisation has committed over USD 1 bn to stop plastic pollution.

The Alliance has committed over USD 1 bn to plastic pollution prevention initiatives.

The AEPW also aims to develop and implement new solutions that can help reduce and recycle plastic waste, including technologies enabling the re-use of plastics as part of the circular economy.

“We are co-founding the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, because we want to drive and promote solutions that will effectively help solve the world’s plastic waste problem. Plastics are efficient materials that can save resources and enable health, safety as well as convenience benefits for society. These benefits could be contradicted, if plastics and their waste are neither used nor disposed nor recycled in a responsible manner,”said Dr Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors and Chief Technology Officer of BASF SE.

Representatives of the AEPW member companies Source: basf.com.

The AEPW will pay particular attention to plastic pollution prevention initiatives in Asia and Africa. More specifically, the Alliance will focus on the development of waste collection and recycling infrastructure, promotion of advanced waste management technologies, and engagement of governments, organisations and communities at all levels to mobilise action. In addition, the AEPW plans to support efforts to clean-up areas with high concentration of plastic waste such as rivers that carry the largest part of land-based waste to the ocean.

Membership in the AEPW will encourage a more responsible handling of plastics by the companies.

According to Dr Brudermüller, membership in the AEPW will stimulate the companies to take a more responsible approach to plastic management.

“One important measure to end uncontrolled entry of plastics into the environment is to build up closed circles wh ere plastic can be used as new raw material. The chemical industry plays an important role in innovating and implementing large-scale processes to convert plastic waste into new products,” said Mr Brudermüller.

The members of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste include BASF, Berry Global, Braskem, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, Clariant, Covestro, CP Group, Dow, DSM, ExxonMobil, Formosa Plastics Corporation USA, Henkel, LyondellBasell, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, Mitsui Chemicals, NOVA Chemicals, OxyChem, PolyOne, Procter & Gamble, Reliance Industries, SABIC, Sasol, Shell, Suez, SCG Chemicals, Sumitomo Chemical, Total, Veolia, and Versalis (Eni).

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