Big brands commit to end plastic pollution

In efforts to eliminate plastic waste and pollution, brands such as L’Oréal, Johnson & Johnson and Unilever, along with 290 organisations, have signed a new global commitment to help end the issue worldwide.

The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment was officially unveiled by long-distance yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur at the Our Ocean conference in Bali, and is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with UN Environment.

Ellen MacArthur said the Global Commitment aims to create a ‘new normal’ for plastic packaging, with targets set and reviewed every 18 months.

“We know that cleaning up plastics from our beaches and oceans is vital, but this does not stop the tide of plastic entering the oceans each year. We need to move upstream to the source of the flow.” MacArthur said.

“The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment draws a line in the sand, with businesses, governments and others around the world uniting behind a clear vision for what we need to create a circular economy for plastic.”

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc chief marketing officer Alison Lewis said the pledge’s potential for change is immense.

“With this landmark pledge, we are embracing the issue of packaging reform as both a challenge to do better and an opportunity to do good,” Lewis said.

“And the potential for impact is huge – Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. touches millions of lives every day, through dozens of brands sold in over 140 countries around the world.”