Photo: ©IUCN
Quantis EA IUCN Plastic Leak Project (PLP): A powerful methodology for driving meaningful action to reduce plastic waste along the value chain
The Plastic Leak Project (PLP), a multi-stakeholder initiative co-founded by Quantis and ecodesign centre EA, in partnership with 35 public, private and scientific organizations, delivers the first science-based methodology to map, measure and forecast plastic leakage along their value chain. These insights provide sustainability managers and corporate decision-makers with a strong foundation to translate their commitments to tackle plastic pollution into effective strategies and actions that meaningfully address plastic leakage.
Developed for companies, the PLP guidelines provide businesses at all stages of the value chain with a robust, standardized method for calculating and reporting estimates of plastic and microplastic leakage at both the corporate and product level. Based on a leading-edge life cycle assessment approach, the guidelines lay out the sources and pathways of plastic leakage across the globe. With a plastic leakage assessment, companies can locate hotspots, understand how much leakage is occurring and identify the factors contributing to plastic pollution across their value chains. The results can be used by corporate decision-makers, sustainability managers, product and packaging designers, and R&D and marketing teams to develop plastics strategies, define priorities and targeted actions, improve product ecodesign efforts, identify value chain innovations, track progress and communicate credibly about the environmental performance of products and the business as a whole. All of which can ultimately mitigate business risks and strengthen brand reputation.
This science-driven approach to tackling plastic pollution enables companies to:
- Minimize risks and build resilience across their value chains
- Uncover opportunities for product and supply chain management innovation
- Strengthen brand reputation by demonstrating leadership in tackling plastic pollution
- Build trust and buy-in among stakeholders through credible communications
MARPLASTICCs is sharing the PLP Guidelines with businesses in South Africa, Thailand and Viet Nam
The MARPLASTICCs project pillars of Knowledge, Policy, Business and Capacity Development are inter-linked for a multi-pronged approach to solving the marine plastics pollution problem in its five countries, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Thailand and Viet Nam. The Plastic Leak Project is one aspect of the business engagement that is aimed at mainstreaming the methodology across companies. The webinars that are being hosted by IUCN are designed to engage companies to first learn about the PLP Guidelines and hen to begin using the guidelines either across a product line or entire value chain.
In 2020, IUCN, Quantis and EA hosted two webinars about the Plastic Leak Project in South Africa and Viet Nam, for over 40 firms, and will host another learning-focused webinar in Thailand in January 2021.
The report for the Viet Nam webinar is linked here.
The slides from the Viet Nam webinar are available here.
The webinar video is available here.
The report for the South Africa webinar is linked here.
The slides from the South Africa webinar are available here.
The webinar video is available here.
The report for the Thailand webinar is linked here.
The webinar video is available here.
Learn more about the Plastic Leak Project (PLP) here.
Download the PLP Guidelines here.
Watch the March 2020 Webinar here.
