CEFLEX, the consortium of companies, associations and organisations collaborating to enhance the performance of flexible packaging in the circular economy in Europe, has issued its endorsement of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Global Commitment for a New Plastics Economy. This support is based on the EMF vision of a circular economy for plastic packaging being fully aligned with the CEFLEX vision.
The Global Commitment clearly envisages a future where plastic packaging, including flexible packaging, is designed, used and the materials then made available again in the circular economy. That way they do not leak into the natural environment and they play an important and essential role in helping society live and consume more sustainably.
Flexible packaging generally is very resource efficient and, in nearly all cases, helps to reduce overall plastic packaging waste while providing customised product protection, at the minimum cost, using the least resource and with the lowest environmental impact. CEFLEX and its stakeholders acknowledge the importance of promoting these environmental benefits as a means of living more sustainably and within the bounds of planet Earth. CEFLEX fully supports the goal of 100% collection of all plastic packaging to make it available for recycling and to prevent it becoming land or marine litter.
Additionally, work to address and replace unnecessary packaging will be achieved through redesign, innovation and new delivery models, along with the parallel development of the infrastructure to collect, sort and recycle flexible packaging in all European countries, needed to realise a circular economy for all types of flexible packaging.
The Global Commitment reinforces the work being undertaken by CEFLEX, where the consortium stakeholders are collaborating to identify, prove and implement how best to close the loop on all flexible packaging materials by 2025.
“Our mission at CEFLEX resonates strongly with the EMF global commitment,” said Graham Houlder, the project coordinator, “which is why we decided to actively endorse it. “
“The increase in the number of stakeholders within our consortium, now over 95, reflects the strong commitment of the industry, from whatever standpoint they come, to creating solutions for a circular economy with flexible packaging playing a full and important part,” he added. “This is clearly demonstrated by the recent joining of CEFLEX by WRAP* which earlier this year launched the UK Plastics Pact, in collaboration with the EMF.”
