View source for Social:Alliance to End Plastic Waste

The '''Alliance to End Plastic Waste''' (AEPW) is an industry-founded and funded [[Social:Non-governmental organization|non-governmental]] and [[Engineering:Nonprofit organization|non-profit]] organization based in Singapore.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite web |last1=Sharma |first1=Joe Brock, John Geddie, Saurabh |title=Big Oil's flagship plastic waste project sinks on the Ganges |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-environment-plastic-insight-idUSKBN29N024 |website=Reuters |language=en |date=18 January 2021}}</ref> Founding members include BASF, Chevron Phillips Chemical, ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings, Procter & Gamble and Shell.<ref>{{cite web |title=About |url=https://endplasticwaste.org/about/ |website=Alliance To End Plastic Waste |access-date=3 July 2021}}</ref>
Launched in 2019, the alliance aims to develop, deploy, and scale sustainable solutions to minimize and manage plastic waste, particularly in the ocean. By fostering collaboration, innovation, and investment, the AEPW seeks to create a circular economy for plastics, ensuring that they are responsibly used, reused, and recycled.

These solutions are based on the AEPW's four strategic pillars: infrastructure, innovation, education and engagement, and cleanup.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alliance To End Plastic Waste |url=https://endplasticwaste.org/en |access-date=2023-03-06 |website=endplasticwaste.org |language=en}}</ref> The AEPW works with the World Economic Council for Sustainable Development as a strategic partner and the [[Organization:United Nations Environment Programme|United Nations Environment Program]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/alliance-to-end-plastic-waste-targets-plastic-in-environment/|title=Alliance to End Plastic Waste targets plastic in the environment|website=Recycling Today}}</ref> The group has been widely criticized as a [[Social:Greenwashing|greenwashing initiative]] that has not met ambitious goals for plastic cleanup, and using its lobbying power to prevent regulation of plastics.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Inside Big Plastic's Faltering $1.5 Billion Global Cleanup Effort |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2022-exxon-mobil-plastic-waste-cleanup-greenwashing/ |access-date=2023-02-22}}</ref><ref name="cite2" /><ref name="Ciitc1" />

==Initiatives==
AEPW has promised to spend $1.5 billion by 2024 to reduce plastic pollution and increase recycling efforts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-plastic-industry-is-growing-during-covid-recycling-not-so-much/|title=The Plastic Industry Is Growing During COVID. Recycling? Not So Much.|website=FRONTLINE}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/08/20/750864036/u-s-recycling-industry-is-struggling-to-figure-out-a-future-without-china|title=U.S. Recycling Industry Is Struggling To Figure Out A Future Without China|website=NPR.org}}</ref> In September 2020 the group reported having spent US$400 million on projects in $400 million in southeast Asia, Africa and India.<ref name="HoustonChronicle">{{cite web |last1=Osborne |first1=James |title=U.S. contribution to plastic waste crisis larger than previously understood |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/U-S-contribution-to-plastic-waste-crisis-larger-15687875.php |website=Houston Chronicle |date=30 October 2020}}</ref>

In November 2019 the group partnered with the ''Renew Oceans'' program to clean up plastic in the Ganges river. In October 2020 the program ceased operating, partly due to challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="Reuters" /> In 2022, the group partnered with the ''Plastic Bank'' launching ''Ocean Steward Educational Programme'' with the goal of encouraging kids to bring the plastic waste that they have at home to plastic collection branches at school.<ref name="Alliance to End Plastic Waste">{{cite web  |title=Ocean Stewards |url=https://endplasticwaste.org/en/our-work/plastic-waste-free-communities/ocean-stewards |website=Alliance to End Plastic Waste}}</ref>

== Membership and Collaboration ==
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is made up of over 80 member organizations, including some of the world's leading companies in the chemical, plastic, consumer goods, and waste management sectors. These members are committed to investing their resources, expertise, and capabilities to advance the alliance's mission. Some notable members of the AEPW include:

# BASF
# Dow
# [[Company:ExxonMobil|ExxonMobil]]
# Procter & Gamble
# SUEZ
# Veolia

== Criticism ==
The group has been criticized for promoting a reduction of plastic waste rather than a reduction in plastic production.<ref name="Ciitc1">{{cite web |title='It's a pipe dream': Green groups blast plastic makers' recycling push |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/it-s-a-pipe-dream-green-groups-blast-plastic-makers-recycling-push/ar-BB1eXlDl |website=www.msn.com}}</ref> 
Moreover, the 5-year recycling target of 15 million tonnes is only 0.8% of the 1.8 billion tonnes of plastic waste production, and the actual recycling of plastic waste during 2019-2021 was only 4 thousand tonnes, compared to the 3-year target of 9 million tonnes.<ref name="cite2">{{cite web |title=Alliance to End Plastic Waste: Barely Credible |url=https://planet-tracker.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/AEPW.pdf |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 2022 |website=planet-tracker.org/}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://endplasticwaste.org/ Official site]

[[Category:Corporate social responsibility]]



{{Sourceattribution|Alliance to End Plastic Waste}}