Please invest in Our Daily Planet today, by making a one time or monthly contribution.
We do not charge our readers a subscription fee for our content. We want to continue to grow our readership, particularly among millennials and public servants. Voluntary contributions from readers will help us employ interns and freelance journalists, expand our content, and reach a larger audience.
If you make a contribution of $150 or more, you will become an official “Friend of the Planet” and receive a Friend of the Planet T-shirt or water bottle.
A little over a year ago the World Wildlife Fund launched ReSource: Plastic an activation hub to help an initial group of major corporations meet their plastics commitments through better data and measurable action. Today, WWF released a report called Transparent 2020 which examines the plastic footprints of these companies and provides a detailed look at the challenges and potential solutions for tackling the plastic pollution problem.
Sheila Bonini, SVP of private sector engagement at WWF explained that,
“In its first year, ReSource has begun to tap into the massive potential that companies have to become key levers that can actually help change the course of this global problem – but also their willingness and ability to act together.”
Why This Matters: WWF identified that as few as 100 companies have the potential to help prevent roughly 10 million metric tons of the world’s plastic waste pollution. Deriving lessons learned and helping standardize metrics through the initial phase of ReSource will help other companies make more meaningful commitments to reducing plastics and keeping them out of the environment.
The tools to identify the most effective interactions companies can take to lower their plastic footprints are becoming more effective and accessible. By refining these tools, ReSource hopes to enlist 100+ companies by 2030 in the effort to reach the ultimate goal of preventing at least 50 million metric tons of plastic waste from entering nature.
The Goals: ReSource has three main goals:
The Companies: The principal members of ReSource included, Coca-Cola, Keurig Dr. Pepper, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, and Starbucks. After a year of the pilot, Amcor, Colgate-Palmolive and Kimberly-Clark have also agreed to join.
The Methodology: Over the past year, member companies have begun to utilize the ReSource Footprint Tracker, an innovative methodology designed to fill a critical measurement gap companies have needed to effectively advance plastic sustainability. Following the lifecycle of plastic, the Footprint Tracker measures how much and what kind of plastic is being used, and where they are likely ending up upon disposal.
The Findings: The inaugural report found the 5 initial ReSource member companies collectively used 4.2 million metric tons of plastic in one year, of which only 8% was sourced from recycled material.
Next Steps: Going forward, ReSource will seek to fill more data gaps in corporate plastics footprints and improve the quality and precision of our understanding of the plastic waste system overall. Companies will now be encouraged to set and report reusability targets at the country level, collaborate with other companies on localized solutions, as well as invest in consumer behavior change.
by Ashira Morris, ODP Staff Writer This week, the European Union will debate new rules on chemicals, specifically polymers. Plastic is made of synthetic polymers, which simply means a long, repeating chain of molecules, and the new proposed safety regulations would only apply to about 6% of them, The Guardian reports. Plenty of plastics with […]
Continue Reading 426 words
by Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer A new survey by travel company Virtuoso found that 82% of people say the pandemic has made them want to travel more responsibly in the future and that 72% of people believe that travel should support local communities, preserve cultural heritage, and protect the planet. But another study conducted by The Vacationer […]
Continue Reading 523 words
by Amy Lupica, ODP Staff Writer A new study has found that “super-emitter” landfills produce more methane than the fossil fuel or agricultural sectors. The years-long aerial survey performed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and the leak-detection firm Scientific Aviation found that these landfills were emitting up to six times more than Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates. […]
Continue Reading 457 wordsSubscribe to the email that top lawmakers, renowned scientists, and thousands of concerned citizens turn to each morning for the latest environmental news and analysis.
