Borealis to ‘more than quadruple’ its plastics recycling by 2025

LONDON (ICIS)–Borealis has committed to increasing its recycled plastics volumes by more than fourfold by 2025, as part of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, which the Austrian polymers and fertilizers major signed on Monday.

The commitment, titled ‘A Line In The Sand’, is an initiative driven by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation with the aim of creating a new normal for plastic packaging.

So far, it has been signed by over 250 organisations, including companies that collectively represent 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally.

Targets of the initiative also include:

– Eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and move from single-use to reuse packaging models.

– Innovate to ensure 100% of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled, or composted by 2025.

– Circulate the plastic produced, by significantly increasing the amounts of plastics reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products.

Businesses that have signed the commitment will publish annual data on their progress to help drive momentum and ensure transparency, while targets will be reviewed every 18 months.

The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has been developed in collaboration with UN Environment. It was officially presented at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali, Indonesia, on Monday. 

“Change is possible. We truly believe that working side by side, businesses and governments can tackle plastic pollution at the source,” said Borealis CEO Alfred Stern.

“As a plastics producer we have taken a leading role in helping to solve the issue of plastic littering and recycling.

“We support ‘A Line In The Sand’ Global Commitment by committing to more than quadruple our recycled plastics volumes by 2025 and further scaling up our Project STOP to help close the tap on ocean plastics.”

On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted to approve a draft proposal that would see single-use plastics such as plastic plates, cutlery, straws and cotton buds banned from 2021 onwards.

Pictured: An Indian worker loads bundles of plastic bottles onto a truck for recycling
Source: Channi Anand/AP/REX/Shutterstock