Unilever and resource management firm Veolia have signed a three-year collaboration agreement, which will aim to improve waste collection and recycling infrastructure in countries around the world.
According to figures provided by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, just 14% of plastic packaging used around the world is collected for recycling after it has been used, with 40% ending up in landfill and a third in “fragile” ecosystems.
The project will start in India and Indonesia, and Veolia will work with Unilever to implement packaging collection solutions, add recycling capacity and develop new processes and business models in various countries to combat plastic waste.
The companies will also work to develop and support emerging technologies that will help create a circular economy on plastics, to ensure that plastics can be reused rather than wasted.
Marc Engel, Unilever’s chief supply chain officer said: “The scale of the plastic waste issue is getting worse, not better, with the production of plastics expected to double over the next two decades.
“We all have a lot more to do to address this critical issue and we hope that by partnering with Veolia, a world leader in waste management, we can take meaningful strides towards a circular economy.”
Laurent Auguste, senior executive vice-president for development, innovation and markets at Veolia added: “There is an undeniable need to transform the current way plastic packaging end of life is managed in order to reduce significantly its environmental footprint.
“It will take a collaboration of a new kind between all the actors of the value chain.
“With this global partnership, Veolia and Unilever join forces in various geographies around the globe and, from the collection to the recycling, take a leadership role to redefine a responsible and sustainable future for packaging”.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024
