Unilever, Mars and H&M among 250 top brands who also vow to eliminate single-use plastic.
250 major brands pledge to eliminate all single-use plastics from their operations.
Food and beverage giants Kellogg’s, Nestle and Coca-Cola are among 250 major brands pledging to cut all plastic waste from their operations – a move described by the UN as the ‘most ambitious effort yet to fight plastic pollution’. The commitment comes as public pressure mounts on manufacturers and retailers to reduce the torrent of plastic packaging overwhelming landfills and clogging waterways and choking the oceans.
Latest commitment designed to cut down on unnecessary plastic at source
The signatories have promised to eliminate all single-use plastics, and to invest in new technology so all packaging can be recycled by 2025, reports The Independent. The initiative is the result of a partnership between The Ellen MacArthur Foundstion and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Erik Solheim, executive director of UNEP, described the commitment as “the most ambitious set of targets we have seen yet in the fight to beat plastics pollution.”
UNEP has estimated that if current pollution rates continue, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050. Around 8 million tonnes of bottles and plastic waste fill the oceans each year, killing marine life and entering the food chain.
Most efforts to fight plastic pollution have focused on cleaning up the waste. But the latest commitment is designed to cut down on unnecessary plastic at its source.
“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,” said Ellen MacArthur, the record-breaking British sailor behind the new initiative. “We need to move upstream to the source of the flow.”
Move described as an important step forward
Danone, H&M, L’Oréal, Mars and Unilever are among the other major brands to have agreed to get rid of plastic waste.
Three of the brands that have signed-up the commitment – Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestle – were recently named the world’s worst plastic polluters, according to an index by the Break Free From Plastic movement.
In the US and Canada, these three companies accounted for 64% of all plastic pollution identified in clean-up operations, according to the campaign group’s analysis.
“We are focused on improving the sustainability of all of our packaging, regardless of the type, and increasing the amount of recycled and renewable material,” Ben Jordan, senior director of environmental policy at Coca-Cola, reported The Independent.
Pavan Sukhdev, president of WWF International, said the new commitment was “an important step forward to join the efforts of businesses and governments around the world towards system-wide solutions”.
Last week, the European Parliament voted for a complete ban on single-use plastic items, including straws and cutlery, in a bid to curb pollution. Unnecessary plastic products will be eradicated from 2021 under the plan.
14 BITS OF PLASTIC YOU CAN QUIT TODAY!
Plastic pollution is destroying our planet and perhaps you feel powerless to do something about it, right? Wrong!!! Here are 14 bits of plastic you can quit right now!
Unilever, Mars na H&M ni miongoni mwa bidhaa 250 za juu ambazo pia zimeapa kuondoa plastiki ya matumizi moja. Kampuni 250 za bidhaa kubwa za kimataifa zimepiga kura ya kuondoa plastiki ya matumizi moja kutoka kwa shughuli zao. Kampuni kubwa za chakula na vinywaji kama vile Kellogg's, Nestle na Coca-Cola zimeahidi kupunguza matumizi ya plastiki katika biashara zao, hatua ambayo imetajwa na Umoja wa Mataifa kuwa 'jitihada kubwa zaidi ya kupambana na uchafuzi wa plastiki'. "Hatua hiyo inakuja wakati shinikizo la umma linapoongezeka kwa wazalishaji na wauzaji wa rejareja kupunguza ""mtiririko"" wa vifurushi vya plastiki vinavyozidi majumba ya taka na kuziba njia za maji na kuziba bahari." "Wafanyakazi wa kampuni hiyo wameahidi kuondoa plastiki zote za matumizi moja na kuwekeza katika teknolojia mpya ili vifurushi vyote viweze kurejeshwa ifikapo mwaka 2025,"" iliripoti gazeti la The Independent." Mpango huo ni matokeo ya ushirikiano kati ya The Ellen MacArthur Foundation na Programu ya Mazingira ya Umoja wa Mataifa (UNEP). "Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa UNEP, Erik Solheim, alielezea ahadi hiyo kama ""mfumo wa malengo ya kutamani zaidi ambayo tumeona bado katika mapambano ya kupambana na uchafuzi wa plastiki,"" UNEP ilikadiria kwamba ikiwa viwango vya sasa vya uchafuzi wa mazingira vitaendelea, kutakuwa na plastiki zaidi baharini kuliko samaki ifikapo mwaka 2050." Takriban tani milioni nane za chupa na taka za plastiki hujaza bahari kila mwaka, na kuua uhai wa baharini na kuingia kwenye mlolongo wa chakula. Jitihada nyingi za kupambana na uchafuzi wa plastiki zimezingatia kusafisha taka. Lakini ahadi ya hivi karibuni imekusudiwa kupunguza plastiki isiyo ya lazima kwenye chanzo chake. "Tunajua kwamba kusafisha plastiki kutoka pwani zetu na bahari ni muhimu, lakini hii haizuii wimbi la plastiki kuingia baharini kila mwaka, "alisema Ellen MacArthur, baharia wa Uingereza aliyevunja rekodi nyuma ya mpango mpya. """ "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, hatua hiyo ya ""kuchukua hatua muhimu mbele"" ni pamoja na Danone, H&M, L'Oréal, Mars na Unilever, ambayo ni miongoni mwa bidhaa nyingine kubwa ambazo zimekubaliana kuondoa taka za plastiki." Kampuni tatu za kimataifa, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo na Nestle, zimetangazwa kuwa ni wazalishaji wakubwa wa plastiki duniani, kulingana na ripoti ya Break Free From Plastic. Katika Marekani na Canada, makampuni haya matatu yalileta asilimia 64 ya uchafuzi wote wa plastiki uliotambuliwa katika shughuli za kusafisha, kulingana na uchambuzi wa kikundi cha kampeni. "Tunazingatia kuboresha uendelevu wa vifurushi vyetu vyote, bila kujali aina, na kuongeza kiasi cha vifaa vilivyotumiwa tena na vinavyoweza kurejeshwa", Ben Jordan, mkurugenzi mwandamizi wa sera za mazingira katika Coca-Cola, aliripoti The Independent. " Pavan Sukhdev, rais wa WWF International, alisema ahadi hiyo mpya ni hatua muhimu ya kuungana na juhudi za biashara na serikali duniani kote kuelekea suluhisho la mfumo wote. Mkutano wa Bunge la Ulaya umepitisha uamuzi wa kupiga marufuku bidhaa za plastiki za matumizi moja, ikiwa ni pamoja na mitungi na vyombo vya kulia chakula, kwa sababu ya uchafuzi wa mazingira. Bidhaa zisizohitajika za plastiki zitakoma kutoka 2021 chini ya mpango huo. 14 Vipande vya Plastiki Unavyoweza Kuacha Leo! Plastiki inaharibu sayari yetu na labda unahisi hauna uwezo wa kufanya kitu kuhusu hilo. Kosa!!! Hapa kuna vipande 14 vya plastiki unavyoweza kuacha sasa hivi!