联合国环境规划署发布《新塑料经济全球承诺》（英）-39页_3mb

2021 Global Commitment Progress Report Summary

Executive Summary

The Global Commitment and Plastic Pact network has brought together over 1,000 businesses, governments, and other organizations to tackle plastic pollution at its source and achieve a circular economy for plastic, where plastic never becomes waste. Signatories, representing more than 20% of the global plastic packaging market, have set ambitious 2025 targets to reduce plastic use and improve sustainability. This third annual progress report evaluates how these signatories are performing against their commitments.

Key Findings

1. Virgin Plastic Use Appears to Have Peaked

• Global Commitment brands and retailers have reduced their virgin plastic consumption for the second consecutive year.
• Between 2018 and 2020, there was a 1.2% reduction in virgin plastic use, following a 0.6% reduction in 2019.
• With new commitments to reduce plastic use in absolute terms, the total reduction in virgin plastic by 2025 is expected to be around 19% compared to 2018.
• This would represent the first time that business growth is decoupled from virgin plastic consumption.
• Combined with recycled content targets from manufacturers, this could avoid 8 million tonnes of virgin plastic production annually, keeping 40 million barrels of oil in the ground.

2. Recycling is the Main Driver, but Not Enough

• Recycling has been the main contributor to reducing virgin plastic use.
• Brand and retail signatories increased post-consumer recycled content in plastic packaging from 5.2% to 8.2% between 2018 and 2020.
• 80% of the planned 2025 reduction is expected to come from recycled content.
• However, eliminating single-use packaging is urgently needed.
• Less than 2% of signatories use reusable packaging, and 56% reported 0% reusable packaging.
• Most elimination efforts involve material substitution, not reducing the need for single-use packaging.
• Policies on elimination are still limited, with only three governments having set reuse targets.

3. Support for a Global Agreement is Growing

• 80% of the plastic packaging market is not covered by the Global Commitment.
• Voluntary initiatives alone are not sufficient to address plastic pollution.
• A binding UN treaty on plastics is urgently needed, with 80 leading companies and 100 countries supporting the call for one.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is gaining traction, with 8 out of 9 national governments planning to implement EPR policies by 2025.

Key Progress Metrics

• 100% of brand and retail signatories have committed to 2025 total and/or virgin plastic packaging reduction targets.
• 63% of brand and retail signatories are reducing virgin plastic use by 19% between 2018 and 2025.
• 76% of elimination examples involved material substitution, while 24% involved fundamental changes to avoid single-use packaging.
• 100% of signatories are publicly disclosing total plastic packaging weight and portfolio breakdown.
• 74% of signatories have increased the use of reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging.

Top FMCGs Performance

Insights by Progress Area

Elimination

• Elimination of problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging is a priority.
• In 2021, 344 examples of elimination were reported, a 31% increase from the previous year.
• The most targeted categories include single-use cutlery, PVC, EPS, straws, hangers, etc.
• 86% of signatories using PVC reported plans to eliminate it, with 32 examples reducing 80,000 metric tonnes of plastic.
• 16 examples eliminated 17,000 metric tonnes of PS, and Nestlé eliminated 2 billion single-use plastic straws.

Reuse

• Only 11% of signatories launched more than three reuse pilots in the last year.
• 56% launched none at all.
• The overall share of reusable plastic packaging has decreased.
• Reusability is not a focus for most signatories, with only 2% of packaging being reusable.

Reusable, Recyclable, or Compostable

• The share of reusable, recyclable, or compostable plastic packaging has increased marginally.
• 80% of the planned 2025 reduction is expected to be driven by recycled content.
• Elimination of single-use packaging is still limited, with most efforts involving material substitution rather than design changes.

Reuse, Recycling, or Composting in Practice

• Reusability and recyclability are not yet widely implemented.
• Recycling output from recycler signatories has increased, but recycling alone cannot solve plastic pollution.
• Circular economy requires preventing waste creation.

Decoupling

• The sustained reduction in virgin plastic use is a key step toward decoupling business growth from plastic consumption.
• This is the first time that leading companies are showing decoupling in their practices.

Transparency

• 100% of signatories are publicly disclosing their plastic packaging data.
• Transparency is essential for accountability and tracking progress.

Conclusion

The Global Commitment is making progress in reducing virgin plastic use, with recycling playing a key role. However, elimination of single-use packaging and reuse remain underdeveloped. Policies and global agreements are needed to support these efforts, and EPR is seen as a vital tool. Transparency and data sharing are essential for tracking and improving progress.