Driving Industry Progress: Walmart’s Rob Nicol Looks Back on His Tenure as Plastic Waste Co-Chair

Looking back on your time as Co-Chair, what are you most proud of in the Plastic Waste Coalition’s journey so far?

When I look back on my time as Co-Chair, I’m incredibly proud of how far the Coalition has come and of the progress we’ve made together. We’ve achieved a great deal, but if I had to single out one accomplishment, it would be the development and adoption of the CGF Golden Design Rules (GDRs). Working with 30 companies to support development of a set of common principles is no small feat.

The GDRs have become a real industry milestone, providing clear, actionable guidance a company can use to accelerate its transition to more sustainable packaging. Seeing collaboration across such a broad group of global brands has been one of the most rewarding parts of this role. It’s an accomplishment that everyone involved should be very proud of.

From your perspective, what key changes have you seen since the start of the Coalition, and where do you feel the Coalition has had the greatest impact so far? 

One of the biggest shifts I’ve seen since the Coalition began is how the mindset has evolved. Early on, much of the conversation centred around “waste”—how to reduce it, how to manage it more effectively, and how to prevent it from leaking into the environment. Those were essential first steps, and they remain critical areas where there is still a great deal of work to do.

Over time, though, our focus has expanded to also embrace the broader concept of “circularity.” This reflects a deeper, more systemic way of thinking. It recognises that reducing waste is only one part of the equation, and that we also have to redesign systems, rethink business models, and build truly circular value chains if we want to address the plastics challenge at its roots.

In terms of impact, I think the Coalition has played a leading role in developing tools like the GDRs, and giving public and private stakeholders a platform to collaborate meaningfully. These tools and guidance have helped raise ambition across the industry.

What have been some of the key challenges along the way, and how did the Coalition work to overcome them?

Bringing together views of so many global companies, each with different operating models, priorities, and regional challenges, is never easy.

A huge amount of credit goes to the workstream leads and all the participants who dedicated countless hours to discussing the issues, exploring solutions, and ultimately crafting practical, workable tools and guidance. Their commitment has been the backbone of our progress.

I also want to acknowledge the many leaders and partners who played essential roles in the Coalition’s success, from our co-sponsors Galen Weston (Loblaw Inc), Alan Jope (Unilever) and Alexis Perakis-Valat, President Consumer Products Division at L’Oréal, to my fellow Co-Chairs Barry Parkin, Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer Mars, Incorporated (at the time of his Coalition tenure) and Mario Abreu, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ferrero, and of course the incredibly talented, hard-working teams at both the CGF and Systemiq, our consulting partner supporting the delivery of the Coalition’s workplan.

A number of manufacturing and retail CEOs showed a genuine interest in reducing plastic waste and were always willing to help the Coalition.  Any progress that we’ve achieved has been the result of a lot of hard work and determination of a big group of people!

As you step down from your role, what are your hopes for the future of the Coalition and for the industry’s progress toward a circular economy for plastics?

As I step away from the Co-Chair role, I’m both proud of what we’ve accomplished and realistic about the challenges that lie ahead. We’ve addressed much of the “low-hanging fruit”, even if those early wins required significant time and effort. What comes next – supporting flexible packaging, reuse and refill models, and other complex systems challenges – will demand even more innovation, public/private collaboration, and perseverance.

But I’m deeply optimistic. The ambition I’ve seen from CGF members, and the growing expectations from consumers around the world, give me confidence that the momentum will continue. I really believe the industry will keep prioritizing and help make meaningful, lasting progress toward a circular economy for plastics.

This Coalition has built a strong foundation, and I’m excited to see where the next chapter takes it.

Find out more about the mission and work of the CGF’s Plastic Waste Coalition.