Sustainability in the plastics supply chain

   

Plastics bring numerous benefits to our everyday lives, enabling many cutting edge technologies across different sectors and minimising climate change impacts through their lightweight and resource-efficient properties.

Almost every major industry sector including construction, aerospace, electronics, automotive, furniture, medical, food, drink, sports, education, leisure and agriculture is reliant upon plastics to enable trade and economic development.

 

The BPF, through its industry member groups and expert committees, as well as through a range of different stakeholder partnerships, works actively to achieve a circular plastics economy and reduce leakage of plastic waste to the environment.

Moreover, by working to achieve a circular plastics economy, the BPF champions several sustainability initiatives at different stages of the supply chain from manufacturing and design to end of life management. A circular plastics economy requires less reliance on virgin materials and an increased capacity within the national recycling infrastructure. Businesses across the supply chain are already demonstrating a strong willingness to explore and adopt new business models that are in line with the circular economy.

Plastic waste pollution is widely recognised as a global environmental issue of utmost importance. The highly durable and persistent nature of plastics requires an urgent and collaborative approach to further reduce negative environmental impacts while preserving plastics’ benefits.

In response to these challenges, governments, businesses and organisations worldwide are implementing solutions to prevent plastic leakage to the environment, to increase recycling and to minimise the need for resource extraction to achieve a truly circular economy.

This report aims to address some of the key sustainability issues in the plastics industry and to provide concrete examples and case studies highlighting the industry’s contribution towards sustainability.