EcoPlum joins 85 organizations endorsing a common vision for a Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution, adding its voice to the newly launched Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WWF (World Wildlife Fund).
NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- EcoPlum®, a sustainable promotional products company, has joined 85 organizations—including major brands, financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—to endorse a common vision for an effective and ambitious Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution. As an early signatory to this process, EcoPlum adds its voice to the newly launched Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and WWF (World Wildlife Fund).
The new Business Coalition kicked off in New York City this week, alongside the 14th annual Climate Week NYC and United Nations (UN) General Assembly meetings of policy makers for all member states. In the coming months, the coalition will engage with UN negotiators to take urgent, coordinated action on plastic pollution with a legally binding global treaty. Central to its efforts are moving towards a circular economy where plastic pollution and waste are eliminated, products and materials become resources or are retained in the economy at their highest value, and there is a shift from extraction to regeneration of nature. The multilateral negotiations will proceed swiftly, commencing in November and concluding at the end of 2024.
Within the coalition, EcoPlum joins the ranks of 25 major brand owners and retailers, including Danone, Ikea, L'Oréal, PepsiCo, Unilever, and Walmart. Gia Machlin, EcoPlum President and CEO said,
"As plastic pollution grows unchecked, there really is 'No Time to Waste' and
EcoPlum is very pleased to help launch this effort with such distinguished,
dedicated organizations."
The Vision Statement issued by the coalition addresses the circular economy approach, expectations for progress on global outcomes, coalition objectives, and key elements for a global plastics treaty. At the end of the statement, there is a call to action for more organizations to join the coalition's efforts. Highlights of each part are provided below.
Shared Vision for a Circular Economy
The shared vision is defined at each step by working towards a circular economy where plastic never becomes waste or pollution, and the value of products and materials is retained in the economy. Important to this vision are the following points:
- A circular economy approach tackles all steps in the value chain as the most promising, proven pathway to end plastic pollution and contribute to global efforts that combat the climate and biodiversity crisis.
- Preventing plastic pollution is not just about improving waste management but rethinking what is in the marketplace and building solutions that prevent plastic waste from being created in the first place.
- Capturing the need for upstream and downstream policies will help achieve desired global outcomes adaptable to local conditions.
Global Outcomes
The Coalition believes that progress must be made in three areas:
- Reduction of plastic production focusing on plastics that have high-leakage rates, are short-lived, e.g. single-use, and/or are made with fossil-based virgin resources.
- Circulation of plastic items that cannot be eliminated, keeping them in the economy at their highest value.
- Prevention and remediation of remaining, hard-to-abate micro-plastic and macro-plastic leakage into the environment.
Objectives of the Coalition
The four main objectives of the Coalition are to:
- Develop clear, consistent policy recommendations for an ambitious and effective treaty.
- Convene an inclusive group of organizations with a strong shared commitment to build both a circular economy for plastic and legally binding treaty ending plastic pollution.
- Coordinate advocacy efforts to deliver joint key messages and inputs from the aligned organizations to governments.
- Build confidence in the business community for the treaty and enable progress towards a system change to end plastic pollution.
Key Elements for the Global Treaty
A legally binding treaty will set the right conditions to enable successful scaling of a circular economy for plastic and end plastic pollution. It will include:
- Clear goals, targets, and obligations for all parties to the treaty, aligning actions of business, governments, and civil society.
- Comprehensive and coordinated upstream and downstream policy measures.
- Instruments to support implementation and monitoring of progress at national, regional, and global levels.
About EcoPlum
EcoPlum Business Gifts offers branded marketing solutions with its Sustainable Swag® line of promotional products. EcoPlum curates best-in-class, eco-friendly gift items and customizes them for clients with their logos, taglines, or messages. We help companies make responsible choices on their branded gifts – a visible symbol of their values – with a goal of reducing plastic and harmful waste in our landfills and oceans. EcoPlum uses rigorous standards for ecological and social sustainability. Transparency is essential. Product sourcing criteria include USDA organic, fair trade, biodegradable, renewable, recycled, reusable, women/minority-owned, Made-in-the-USA, handcrafted or artisan, vegan, non-toxic, and third-party eco-labels (e.g. B Corp, FLA).
EcoPlum is a certified B Corp, WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) women-owned business enterprise, and Green America Gold Business. The company is a member of ASBC (American Sustainable Business Council), AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education), FLA (Fair Labor Association), PPC (Plastic Pollution Coalition), and ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute).
Sustainable Swag® solutions at EcoPlum.com, https://ecoplum.com. For more information: info(at)ecoplum(dot)com, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EcoPlum, LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecoplum, The EcoPlum Biz Blog, Twitter via @ecoplum, and Instagram via @ecoplum.
Media Contact
Marcia Robbins, EcoPlum, Inc., (888)730-9990, [email protected]
Gia Machlin, EcoPlum, Inc., (888)730-9990, [email protected]
SOURCE EcoPlum, Inc.
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