The Ellen MacArthur Foundation announced its new Global Commitment, ‘A line in the sand’, at the ‘Our Ocean Conference’ in Bali on 29 October 2018. The objective: eliminating plastic waste and pollution right at the source. Over 250 leading organizations from around the world are committing to these ambitious objectives. Verstraete IML is also committed and will be taking the lead in sustainability efforts.
Innovation at the forefront
Verstraete IML was one of the first to commit to the New Plastics Economy initiative launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a British NGO, in 2016. It was a logical decision for the market leader in in-mold labeling, for which sustainability is the major leitmotif. Koen Verstraete, Managing Director: “Innovation is in our DNA. To both develop high-tech products for our customers and create environmentally friendly solutions that contribute to a sustainable economy.”
Perfectly recyclable IML packaging
Verstraete IML produces over 50 million in-mold labels daily for the plastic packaging industry. Nico Van de Walle, Product Manager: “Plastic is strong, lightweight, and hygienic. It’s also easy to reuse and recycle. Moreover, the packaging and the IML are made from the same material, which makes it mono-material packaging, meaning it is perfectly recyclable.”
The buck stops here
Trying to clean up all the plastic in the oceans is fighting a losing battle, unless the problem is dealt with right at the source. That’s why the New Plastics Economy draws a clear line in the sand. Companies, governments and organizations must create an unambiguous vision on the circular economy. They must also join forces to bring a stop to plastic pollution.
The New Plastics Economy targets three objectives:
- Eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and move from single-use to reuse packaging models
- Innovate to ensure 100% of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled, or composted by 2025
- Circulate the plastic produced, by significantly increasing the amounts of plastic reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products
Environmentally friendly actions throughout the entire chain
Verstraete IML strongly believes in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s – literal and figurative – cross-border approach. That is why the company is actively participating in the Holy Grail pioneer project to create more value in the waste flow. It does this, for example, by applying digital watermarks to the IML and packaging in order to better sort the waste. In addition, Verstraete IML has been making major, long-term efforts to write a truly sustainable story. Nico Van de Walle: “Our spin-off company Plastic Recycling Verstraete (PRV) converts more than 4,500 tons of polypropylene waste into the new basic raw material, rPP pellets, annually. We’re making major cuts in our energy consumption. And we take the environmental impact into account as much as possible when buying raw materials and in our production processes.”
Measurability and transparency
Sustainability isn’t just some short-lived buzzword at Verstraete IML. Koen Verstraete: “The fact that we don’t go in for greenwashing is apparent from, among others, our commitment to the New Plastics Economy and our signing of the Global Commitment. Companies that actively support the initiative must achieve results and prove them. They do this by, among other things, publishing measurable data on specific achievements and progress made annually. Plus, we publish a sustainability report every three years, in which we explain our actions in detail.”
Pioneering positive change
With the Global Commitment, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation wants to create the ‘new normal’ for plastic packaging and implement changes from production onwards. This is because the majority of the packaging that ends up in the environment and the oceans escapes collection because it’s ‘worthless’. Plastic packaging with greater intrinsic value ends up where it should end up: in a circular system for reuse and recycling. Nico Van de Walle: “We always take the functional objectives, circularity, and final destination into account when designing all of our IML products. Because, as a manufacturer of in-mold labels, we are at the source and we can outline a positive course for the future. It’s a major responsibility that forms the basis for everything we do.”
