About the Durable Plastics Coalition
The Coalition brings a collective voice around durable plastic to add nuance, credibility and weight to policymaking discussions. Specifically, we have identified two main objectives:
Enhanced recognition of the different use cases of plastic and materials choice
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An enabling regulatory environment for safe and durable plastic
The shortcomings of today’s largely linear model of plastic production and quick consumption are clear, leading to a proliferation of environmentally damaging, short-lived products and a broad ‘anti-plastic’ sentiment from both the public and policymakers.
Currently, little distinction is made by policymakers between short lived single-use plastics (SUPs) and durable applications for which plastic is the best material from a safety, cost, or sustainability perspective.While we recognise that these products can bring environmental and social challenges for which we do not yet have all the solutions, we believe there is an important role for these products to play in a more sustainable future.
Enhanced recognition of the different use cases of plastic and materials choice
We want to drive a better understanding by policymakers about why manufacturers and brand owners make certain choices about their materials and why plastic might be the best choice from an environmental perspective (such as carbon emissions, safety, weight or longevity).
Through this coalition, our aim is to come together to acknowledge and understand the different uses of plastics, supported by independent academic research.
Our core objectives are:
An enabling regulatory environment for safe and durable plastic
We want to identify what is needed to produce durable plastic more sustainably and what policy action is required to accelerate that aim. This could cover a range of areas, including recycling infrastructure, innovation and new technologies, building markets for scaling the use of new materials or feedstocks, industry supply chain issues such as pellet loss and fibre design, recycling and end of life, or raising consumer awareness.
Founding members:
