Plastic Waste Alliance Unveils 2024 Progress Update
Alliance to End Plastic Waste Unveils Strategy 2030 for Systemic Change
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) has announced its new strategy, Strategy 2030, aimed at driving transformative change towards a circular plastics economy. The strategy focuses on larger-scale, integrated programs that deliver measurable impact at speed and scale [1][2].
Key elements of Strategy 2030 include:
- Focus on select markets, such as India, Indonesia, and South Africa, to improve waste management and increase recycling rates, aligning with national priorities [1].
- Addressing systemic barriers to plastics circularity, with particular attention to flexible plastics, which are challenging to recycle due to their material properties and recycling infrastructure gaps [1][4].
- Catalyzing capital investment by leveraging blended finance, concessional funding, and partnerships with both public and private finance institutions to unlock investments for high-impact waste management solutions [1][4].
Jacob Duer, the President and CEO of the Alliance, emphasizes the need for collaboration with governments, financial institutions, and civil society to overcome persistent barriers to plastics circularity [1].
In terms of flexible plastics, which are often difficult to recycle due to their lightweight, multi-layered nature, the Alliance plans to:
- Mobilize collective financing, including a recently announced $100 million fund, to develop innovative solutions specifically targeting the collection, sorting, and recycling of flexible plastic waste [4].
- Build integrated collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure tailored to complement countries' regulatory and policy frameworks, aiming to create systemic recycling solutions that can handle complex materials like flexible plastics efficiently [5].
- Co-develop large-scale initiatives at both country-specific and thematic levels, including flexible plastics recycling, to scale proven solutions in partnership with local governments and stakeholders [1][2].
Since its inception in 2019, the AEPW has made significant strides in reducing plastic waste. It has eliminated nearly 240,000 tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste and recycled or repurposed over 253,000 tonnes of plastic waste due to its backed initiatives [3]. These efforts have also led to the creation of 2,134 formal jobs [6].
Tracey Campbell, the Chair of the Board of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, stresses the importance of this work, stating, "We are committed to driving transformative change, combining technical innovation, capacity building, and financial leverage to accelerate global progress toward eliminating plastic waste" [7].
The report detailing the AEPW's progress and Strategy 2030 can be found on the Alliance to End Plastic Waste's Progress Report 2024, and the Alliance can be followed on LinkedIn for updates [2]. The AEPW has attracted US$610.89 million in external funding commitments [8].
References: [1] Alliance to End Plastic Waste. (2023). Strategy 2030: Driving Transformative Change. Retrieved from https://www.endplasticwaste.org/ [2] Alliance to End Plastic Waste. (2024). Progress Report 2024: Evolving for Impact. Retrieved from https://www.endplasticwaste.org/ [3] Alliance to End Plastic Waste. (2023). 2019-2024 Progress Report: Evolving for Impact. Retrieved from https://www.endplasticwaste.org/ [4] Alliance to End Plastic Waste. (2023). Flexible Plastics Action: Innovative Solutions for a Circular Economy. Retrieved from https://www.endplasticwaste.org/ [5] Alliance to End Plastic Waste. (2023). Infrastructure Development: Building a Sustainable Future. Retrieved from https://www.endplasticwaste.org/ [6] Alliance to End Plastic Waste. (2023). Job Creation: Empowering Communities. Retrieved from https://www.endplasticwaste.org/ [7] Alliance to End Plastic Waste. (2023). About Us: Leadership. Retrieved from https://www.endplasticwaste.org/ [8] Alliance to End Plastic Waste. (2023). Funding Commitments: Investing in a Circular Economy. Retrieved from https://www.endplasticwaste.org/
- With the increased focus on flexible plastics, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste plans to invest in environmental-science projects that develop innovative collection, sorting, and recycling solutions, as well as finance large-scale initiatives for flexible plastics recycling.
- To achieve systemic change in the plastics industry, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste is fostering partnerships with financial institutions and governments, aiming to catalyze capital investment through blended finance and concessional funding, thereby driving business growth towards a circular economy.
