The Plastics 2020 Challenge is a campaign to reduce the quantity of
plastic waste
Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles (e.g. plastic bottles, bags and microbeads) in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. Plastics that act as pollutants are categ ...
sent to
landfill. In 2009, the
plastics industry The plastics industry manufactures polymer materials—commonly called plastics—and offers services in plastics important to a range of industries, including packaging, building and construction, electronics, aerospace, and transportation.
It is ...
, PlasticsEurope, the
Packaging and Films Association (PAFA) and the
British Plastics Federation The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the main trade body for the plastics industry in the UK.
History
It was incorporated on 21 December 1933; the first Chairman was Charles Waghorne of Insulators Limited. It is the longest-established plastics ...
(BPF), launched its Plastics 2020 Challenge campaign in the UK to challenge itself, consumers and government to step up
resource efficiency Resource efficiency is the maximising of the supply of money, materials, staff, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively, with minimum wasted (natural) resource expenses. It means using the ...
and stop sending plastic materials to landfill. The Plastics 2020 Challenge was named runner-up "Campaign of the Year" for 2009 by ''
Packaging News
Packaging is the science, art and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Packaging also refers to the process of designing, evaluating, and producing packages. Packaging can be described as a ...
''.
Pledges
The industry is pledging several commitments including to help double the recycling rate of
plastic packaging
Plastic containers are containers made exclusively or partially of plastic. Plastic containers are ubiquitous either as single-use or reuseable/durable plastic cups, plastic bottles, plastic bags, foam food containers, Tupperware, plastic ...
in the UK by the year 2020 and the diversion of plastics from landfill.
Plastic recycling
Plastics are too valuable a resource to send to landfill at their end of life. Industry wants these materials back to recycle whenever possible. When plastics cannot be sustainably recycled such
non-recyclable plastics provides a valuable
energy resource
Energy development is the field of activities focused on obtaining sources of energy from natural resources. These activities include production of Renewable energy, renewable, nuclear power, nuclear, and fossil fuel derived sources of energy, ...
for
thermal process, contributing to energy security and displacing virgin
fossil fuels.
Call for action
The
plastics industry The plastics industry manufactures polymer materials—commonly called plastics—and offers services in plastics important to a range of industries, including packaging, building and construction, electronics, aerospace, and transportation.
It is ...
cannot achieve this alone, and calls on policy makers and the value chain to work with them in achieving its goal, thereby increasing the UK's resource efficiency and creating new jobs in the Green sector.
Sponsors
The Plastics 2020 Challenge is sponsored by three organisations:
*
PlasticsEurope
*
British Plastics Federation The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the main trade body for the plastics industry in the UK.
History
It was incorporated on 21 December 1933; the first Chairman was Charles Waghorne of Insulators Limited. It is the longest-established plastics ...
(BPF)
*
Packaging and Films Association (PAFA)
See also
*
Plastic recycling
Plastic recycling is the reprocessing of plastic waste into new products. When performed correctly, this can reduce dependence on landfill, conserve resources and protect the environment from plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
...
*
Reuse of water bottles
*
Waste Implementation Programme The Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) is the UK Government's response to the package of strategic measures recommended by the Strategy Unit "Waste Not, Want Not" report published in 2002. The WIP is the route map of the Department for Environme ...
*
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
References
External links
* {{official website, http://www.plasticseurope.org/plastics-sustainability-14017.aspx
2009 in the environment
Recycling in the United Kingdom
Plastic recycling