2024 PLASTIC Promises SCORECARD
Plastic pollution is an increasing risk to business. At the time of this writing, global leaders from 193 UN Member States are in the process of negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution by levying legally binding plastic use reduction, recyclability, and transition goals and drive demand for reusables. At the same time, a wide array of more than 200 businesses, investors, and non-governmental organizations are united in recognizing plastic pollution as a severe threat to businesses’ social license to operate, endorse, and support the negotiation of this ambitious global treaty.
Corporations can address legal, regulatory, environmental, and brand reputation risks of plastic pollution and prepare for forthcoming global treaty agreements by taking the steps outlined in this report to create a circular economy for packaging.
A circular economy for plastic packaging is one in which plastic stays in the economy and out of the environment, playing an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and balancing economic growth with the earth’s natural limits. The Plastic Promises Scorecard discusses how corporations must engage upstream where they have full control – recyclability, reduction, recycled content, and reusables – and downstream – in the collection of packaging at its end of life – through passage of EPR policies, in collaboration with peers, consumers, and governments.
As our collective understanding of the plastic crisis and corporate solutions to address it continues to develop, so have our ability and methodologies to rank corporate progress. The Plastic Promises Scorecard is a first-time partnership between As You Sow and Ubuntoo to encourage innovative corporate solutions and mitigate the risks of plastic packaging pollution. This report is both an update and expansion of As You Sow’s 2021 Corporate Plastic Pollution Scorecard and Ubuntoo’s 2022 Plastic Promises. Accordingly, some but not all findings in the Plastic Promises Scorecard can be directly compared to either past publication.
PROMISING ACTION
Most companies have goals for recyclability, reduction, and recycled content (pages 7, 9, 11).
An increasing number of companies support EPR policies (page 17).
While no industry stands out as a Sustainability Leader on plastics, marked by bold goals coupled with strong performance, top companies were identified in nearly every industry. Top, high-scoring, companies demonstrated ambitious goals and consistent action across most, or even all, pillars no matter their industry.
AREAS OF CONCERN
Plastic Use Intensity – Despite setting a variety of plastics related goals, for many companies plastic use continues to increase as revenue increases (page 9). Virgin plastic reduction goals alone are insufficient. To decrease plastic use intensity (plastic use per $ of revenue), corporations must substantially increase action across all pillars discussed in this report, including use of recycled content, end-of-life recovery, substitution with reusable packaging, and EPR for a circular economy.
Action is not keeping pace with Ambition. Most corporations are not on track to meet the goals they have set.
