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Commitments & Achievements

Working together to realise our vision of a circular economy

Creating a Blueprint for Success

The Coalition’s Charter outlines the commitments and objectives of the different workstreams. It was approved by the CGF Board in 2020 and adopted by all Coalition members.

We are committed to transforming how our industry designs, produces and manages plastic packaging in order to accelerate progress towards our vision of a circular economy.

In 2019, together with SYSTEMIQ and McKinsey, our members created a blueprint for reaching our ambitions through the development of a simulation model comparing collection and recycling rates, material flows, as well as associated financial and social implications for different combinations of waste management design choices. As a Coalition, we have developed a strategy that supports our objectives of collaboration and circularity inspired by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy. These goals are embodied in our central aims for members to take action on the design and use of plastic packaging, the development of waste management systems, and the introduction of recycling innovations that can support greater recycling efforts.

We are committed to: 

  • Implementing a small number of impactful “Golden Design Rules” on packaging design;
  • Aligning on principles for optimal Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, which will help individual members with their government engagement approaches.
  • Assisting in the design and investment in regional scale pilots to demonstrate the most effective collection and recycling systems and optimal EPR schemes in transitional markets.
  • Aligning within the Coalition on the role of chemical recycling in a circular economy for plastics and engaging with stakeholders.

Through this strategy, we define success as:

  • The broad adoption of plastic packaging design guidelines (the “Golden Design Rules”) that ensure packaging design follows the principles of the circular economy as outlined in the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and eco-design guidelines.
  • The progression of developed countries towards an effective waste management system with robust collection and high rates of recycling (>70%); and
  • A financially viable path forward has been demonstrated at scale in a transitional country that delivers a dramatic reduction in plastic waste into nature and increased recycling rates (>30%).

Achievements

  • CGF Endorses the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy

    The CGF issues a statement calling for the consumer goods industry to play a leading role in eliminating plastic waste on land and sea and endorses the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy vision. The statement was issued ahead of the Our Ocean Conference that took place in Bali, Indonesia.

  • CGF Partners with SYSTEMIQ and McKinsey to Create a Blueprint for Success on Packaging

    The CGF undertakes a year-long study with SYSTEMIQ and McKinsey, with the support of CGF members, to create a blueprint for reaching our ambition of a more circular economy for plastic packaging. Together, we develop  a simulation model comparing collection and recycling rates, material flows, as well as associated financial and social implications for different combinations of waste management system design choices. The results shape the work of the Plastic Waste Coalition.

  • CGF Plastic Waste Coalition Announces First Two Golden Design Rules for Plastic Packaging

    Advancing on their first priority, Coalition members finalised the first two of a series of “Golden Design Rules” for the design of plastic packaging which are designed to accelerate progress towards their aim of using less and better plastic. These first two rules focus on increasing the value of PET bottle recycling and removing problematic elements from packaging, such as carbon black, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and EPS (expanded polystyrene), which complicate the recycling process.

  • The Coalition Releases Position Paper on Optimal Extended Producer Responsibility

    Coalition members have released a new position paper, “Building a Circular Economy for Packaging: A View from the Consumer Goods Industry on Optimal Extended Producer Responsibility,” which provides a framework for the development and implementation of EPR programmes around the world.

  • The Coalition Launches Full Set of “Golden Design Rules” to Tackle Plastic Waste

    The Coalition published the remaining seven “Golden Design Rules”, which follows on from the launch of the first two of the series in December 2020. 

    The latest design rules focus on eliminating unnecessary plastic packaging, by reducing headspace and plastic overwraps, as well as increasing recycling value in various types of plastic, including PET thermoformed packaging, flexible consumer packaging and rigid HDPE and PP.  Business-to-business plastic packaging will also be targeted, with the elimination of all unnecessary packaging that doesn’t reach the consumer. The rules also cover the use of clear and accurate on-pack recycling instructions, which will help consumers to ensure that packaging is sorted for the appropriate end-of-life solution. 

  • The Coalition Publishes New Guidelines for Ecomodulation of Extended Producer Responsibility Fees

    Members of the Coalition released a paper outlining guiding principles for the ecomodulation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees. The paper aims to provide clarity on the meaning of ecomodulation as an EPR fee setting mechanism and outlines the guiding principles and six key design parameters of optimal ecomodulation systems, which include simplicity, clarity of objectives and criteria, focus on net cost, investment into the system, transparency and consultation and harmonisation.  

  • Coalition Companies Announce Position on Chemical Recycling Technologies and Publish Life Cycle Assessment

    The Coalition announced the publication of a Vision and Principles Paper, entitled “Chemical Recycling in a Circular Economy for Plastics” which encourages the development of new plastics recycling technologies that meet six key principles for credible, safe and environmentally sound development. In support of this position paper, the Coalition also published an independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, that demonstrates that the chemical recycling of hard-to-recycle plastic waste could reduce the climate impact of plastic when compared to waste-to-energy incineration.

  • Coalition Companies Signal Shared Demand for 800,000 Tons of Chemically Recycled Materials

    Twelve member companies of the Coalition of Action on Plastic Waste published a letter addressed to suppliers, regulators and investors expressing their demand to procure chemically recycled material produced in line with their environmental safeguards. A wider survey of Coalition member companies indicated demand of 800,000 tons of chemically recycled material per year by 2030, in addition to their needs for mechanically recycled materials. 

  • Coalition Launches New Workstreams on Reuse/Refill and Flexibles

    At the start of 2023, the Coalition started the Reuse/Refill workstream to understand what we can do collectively to support scaling such models widely. The Coalition’s Flexibles Workstream takes a four-pronged approach, looking at reduce and re-design, recycling systems, innovation and recycling technology.

  • CGF China Golden Design Rules Case Study Booklets Launched in Chinese and English

    The CGF China issued its Golden Design Rules (GDR) Case Study Booklet at the 3rd Annual CGF China Health and Sustainability Collaboration Conference on March 21, 2023, including case studies from sixteen member companies.

  • L'Oréal's Alexis Perakis-Valat Appointed Co-Sponsor of Plastic Waste Coalition of Action

    Alexis Perakis-Valat, President of the Consumer Products Division for L’Oréal, was appointed as the new Co-Sponsor of the Coalition.

  • CGF China and SynTao Publish Case Study Booklet

    CGF China joins forces with SynTao developed a booklet in English and Chinese delivering sustainable packaging management paradigms and case studies from CGF member companies.

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