Continente is the first retailer to sign International Plastics’ Pact

Continente has just signed the accession to the “New Plastics Economy Global Commitment” – a project led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (in cooperation with the UN Program for the Environment), that intends to promote a circular economy model for plastic and the establishment of common goals to deal with plastic residues and the pollution these generate.

The Global Commitment of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is sustained by a vision of a circular economy model for plastic anchored in the following suppositions:

. Eliminate all problematic or unnecessary plastic trough packaging eco-design solutions, innovation and new delivery models;
. Apply reutilization models in such way that reduces the need for single used packages;
. Transform all plastic in 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packages;
. Minimize the use of plastics from finite resources;
. Guarantee all plastic packages are free from dangerous chemicals and that health, security and rights of all individuals involved are respected.

By signing this commitment, Continente joins the governments of France, UK and Chile, Portugal and New Zealand’s Environment Ministries, organizations as the World Economic Forum, European Bank of Investment and The Consumer Goods Forum, NGOs, universities, industrial associations, investors and a group of companies that, overall, represent 20% of all plastic packages produced globally.

The announcement of the signature of this international commitment follows the release of the first report of Ellen MacArthur Foundation, that details how brands, governments and other entities have established ways of dealing with plastic pollution, side by side, for the first time.

Sander Defruyt, responsible for the New Plastics Economy project, explains: “The goals and action plans presented in this report represent a massive evolution in comparison with the moving rhythm of the last decades. Yet, these are still far from truly matching the scale of the problem, particularly on what concerns the elimination of unnecessary items and innovation on reutilization models. The ambition level should keep on rising so that real steps in fighting plastic pollution until 2025 are taken, and the transition from commitment to action is crucial. Large investment, innovations and transformation programs need to be initiated now, so that its impact can be assessed until 2025.”

Continente has been implementing diverse measures on the promotion for the responsible use of plastic, regarding private label solutions, logistics, suppliers and on raising awareness to the consumers and these are in total synchrony with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the national and European incentives towards a Circular Economy.

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