Early 2017, A Plastic Planet co-founders Frederikke Magnussen and Siân Sutherland launched their first award-winning campaign for A Plastic Free Aisle. The two self-confessed plastic addicts could stand by no longer once they became aware of what the world was doing to our oceans, our land and ultimately to our own health. The predictions are more than alarming: without action, the annual flow of plastic into the ocean will almost triple by 2040, to 29 million tonnes per year.
Turning off the plastic tap
“A Plastic Planet is one of the most recognised and respected organisations tackling the plastic crisis. Founded by entrepreneurs who recognise the power of business to create change at scale and at speed, it is uniquely solutions-focused and encourages out-of-the-box thinking,” explains Christoph Schmocker, Head of the Julius Baer Foundation. The organisation works with leaders in industry, retail, media, education, the UN, and governments to inspire the world to ‘turn off the plastic tap.’
Projects with potential to ‘prototype a new future’ include: A Plastic Free Aisle, Plastic Free PPE, and the Plastic Free Certification Scheme. The organisation’s collaboration with companies has already brought select consumer products to market in low – or no-plastic packaging.
Tackling the root of the problem
But voluntary commitments from governments and industry are not enough. If all current commitments, including the EU Plastics Pact, were achieved, they would reduce ocean pollution by only 7% by 2040. A Plastic Planet therefore supports binding legislation to ensure producer responsibility and serves on the Stewardship Council of the Ocean Plastic Leadership Network, guiding stakeholder dialogues for the 2022 United Nations Environment Assembly, when a ‘Paris Agreement’ for plastics will be tabled.
PlasticFree.com: A Solutions Platform for Designers Worldwide
Since 2018, the Julius Baer Foundation has partnered with A Plastic Planet to launch two programs: a global competition to recognise companies bringing fresh and innovative plastic free products to market, and the world’s first Plastic Free Materials Library, which links global brands and designers with suppliers of commercially viable plastic free packaging and solutions.
In light of economic, environmental, social, and legislative imperatives, businesses are looking for reliable, up-to-date data on plastic free alternatives and systems change. Deliberately designed to encourage lateral thinking that yields new solutions to old problems, the PlasticFree.com site not only hosts the materials database, but also connects innovators, materials manufacturers and converters to designers, brands, retailers, and buyers.
Enhanced content, including keynote articles from global experts and commissioned industry case studies on new materials, providing proof-of-concept
- empower the creative industry to design differently;
- champion waste-free manufacturing solutions across supply chains;
- encourage use of new, nature-friendly materials;
- educate stakeholders and boost general knowledge; and
- inspire systems change as the key lever towards more responsibly resource use.
Join the plastic-free movement
Recent history has proven that recycling certain types of plastic is not the answer. It has little value, is mostly down-cycled, too difficult to reclaim and often contaminated. It’s fundamentally the wrong use of plastic in the first place, that causes major issues. But right now, the public have no choice but to buy everything packaged in this indestructible material.
When you can buy gluten-free, fat-free, dairy-free; why can we not buy plastic-free?