Key Takeaways:
- Several prominent brands and retailers have recently withdrawn from the U.S. Plastics Pact, a collaborative initiative aimed at achieving shared sustainability targets for packaging by 2025.
- Notable departures include Walmart, Mondelēz, Mars, Nestlé, and L’Oréal USA, as well as various non-profit organizations like the Ocean Conservancy and the National Stewardship Action Council.
- The U.S. Plastics Pact was launched in 2020 as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global network, with a focus on advancing sustainable packaging practices and meeting specific targets.
Insights:
The U.S. Plastics Pact set ambitious goals for 2025, including ensuring that 50% of plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and incorporating an average of 11% postconsumer recycled content or biobased content in packaging portfolios.
Looking ahead to 2030, the U.S. Plastics Pact has updated its targets to further reduce the use of virgin plastic, increase recycled content, and establish viable reusable packaging systems.
| 2025 targets (announced in 2020) | 2030 targets (announced in 2024) |
| Eliminate problematic or unnecessary packaging materials by 2025 | Remove all items on the Problematic and Unnecessary Materials List and reduce virgin plastic use by 30% by 2030 |
| Ensure all plastic packaging is 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025 | Design and produce all plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable |
| Recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging by 2025 | Recycle 50% of plastic packaging effectively and establish a scalable recycling or composting framework |
| Achieve 30% recycled content or biobased content in plastic packaging by 2025 | Attain an average of 30% postconsumer recycled content or responsibly sourced biobased content across plastic packaging |
| Identify reusable packaging systems and expand their implementation by 2030 to reduce virgin plastic usage |
The U.S. Plastics Pact will commence work on the 2030 targets in 2026, with new activators joining the initiative and committing to sustainable packaging practices through 2030.
While some companies have acknowledged challenges in meeting their 2025 goals, initiatives like the U.S. Plastics Pact play a crucial role in driving industry-wide sustainability efforts and promoting responsible packaging practices.