Navigating the surge of circular plastics & packaging initiatives

As part of WBCSD’s Circular Economy Program, the Sustainable Plastics & Packaging Value Chains project is a business coalition helping companies to accelerate solutions to make plastic & packaging circular and sustainable.

To help business navigate through the global plastic circularity landscape, the project members, together with KPMG, have characterized 20+ plastics business led initiatives which were synthetized in a mapping.

The world of plastic packaging is changing fast; consumers, investors and legislators are expecting companies to accelerate their transition to plastic circularity to end plastic pollution. Businesses must find solutions and engage outside their own activities by participating in establishing standards for circular design and recycling infrastructures. However, there is a myriad of initiatives, and companies are often facing the challenge to understand their relevance and where to engage resources. This comprehensive mapping serves as a north star for company investment in plastics sustainability.​

The mapping has identified along the plastic value chain four main areas where the initiatives are particularly active. These are:

1. Decoupling from virgin fossil feed stock
2. (Re)designing plastics & packaging for recycling and longevity of use
3. Reducing leakage of mismanaged plastic into the environment (e.g., improved collection & sorting technologies, cleaning programs)
4. Recreating an effective after-use economy (e.g., by recycling infrastructure)

Download the mapping “Plastics solution in value chain”.

This visualization can be used to structure where in the plastic value chain business would focus their effort and which initiative to connect with to support their sustainability agenda

For further information on the Sustainable Plastics & Packaging Value Chains project please contact Cyrille Durand, Durand@wbcsd.org

Initiatives interviewed
3R Initiative
Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance
CEFLEX
USAID Clean Cities, Blue Ocean
Closed Loop Partners
Global Plastic Action Partnership
HolyGrail
Minderoo SEA THE FUTURE
New Plastics Economy (EMF)
Ocean Cleanup
OneSource Coalition
Operation Clean Sweep
Plastic Bank
Plastic Waste Coalition (CGF)
Project STOP
RecyClass
ReSource Plastic (WWF)
The Association of Plastic Recyclers
The Circulate Capital
The Circulate Initiative
The Recycling Partnership
Trash Free Seas Alliance (Ocean Conservancy)
WBCSD
WRAP