Chemical recycling ushered in new opportunities!

For the first time, consumer goods companies have joined together through the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) to set the agenda for the development of new technologies for plastic recycling

CGF Plastic Waste Action Coalition publishes independent scientific research

16 consumer goods companies have co-authored a document outlining a set of principles for the development of a safe, secure, and environmentally sound chemical recycling industry

On April 13, 2022, the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Plastic Waste Action Coalition released the report "Chemical Recycling in a Circular Economy of Plastics" to encourage the development of new technologies for plastic recycling to meet the key principles of safe, reliable, and environmentally sound development

Participating Consumer Goods Companies

In support of the report's claims, the coalition also released an independent life cycle assessment (LCA) study that showed that chemical recycling of hard-to-recycle waste plastics could reduce climate impacts compared to incineration

To help achieve the ultimate goal, the consortium has developed a shared vision and principles for a pyrolysis-based chemical recycling safety model, providing guidance for the positive development of chemical recycling

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The coalition commissioned an independent study into the impacts of climate change by environmental expert consultancy Sphera, which was peer-reviewed throughout the study by a panel of experts from the United Nations Environment Programme, Northwestern University and Eunomia

Table: Climate Change Assessment Results from LCA Analysis

Stakeholders' Views

Barry Parkin, Chief Sustainability Officer, Mars: Chemical recycling is a key complement to mechanical recycling, as it allows a large amount of flexible packaging to be recycled back into food-grade packaging

Colin Kerr, Unilever Packaging Director: As we continue to reduce our consumption of virgin plastic, new technologies such as chemical recycling can help increase recycling rates and increase the availability of food-grade recycled materials

Llorenç Milà i Canals, Director of the UNEP Life Cycle Initiative Secretariat: When evaluating technologies such as chemical recycling of plastics, all potential environmental impacts of the entire life cycle of production and consumption systems must be considered

Sander Defruyt, Head of the New Plastics Economy, Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Recognizing that reducing and reusing packaging should be a priority, and recognizing the limitations of technology, this report proposes what the industry should do in the transition from plastics to a circular economy role, and the key principles and boundary conditions that should be followed
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