How to assess and reduce your plastic footprint?

EVEA has launched a major R&D project aimed at assessing and reducing organizations' plastic footprint. Are you affected? Why is it important?

EVEA's R&D activity dates back to 2008. Since March 2022, we have dedicated a significant portion of this activity to the Plastic Footprint project, which aims to better characterize the impact of plastic pollution through life cycle assessment (LCA).
 

The goal of this project is to develop methods that enable organizations to calculate their plastic footprint and understand its impact. In this context, LINEA is involved in the Plastic Footprint Network (PFN) to develop a universal methodology for calculating the plastic footprint in packaging, textile, and agricultural sectors.

We aim to leverage representative cases of these challenges and thus involve industrial producers and/or users of plastic.

If you are affected and interested in our approach, if you wish to assess and reduce your footprint, contact our Plastic Pollution R&D team. It brings together LCA and eco-design experts specialized in plastics.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Reason number 1: because your organization is a stakeholder in society. Your actions to reduce environmental and social footprints contribute to the fight for environmental preservation.

Reason number 2: because regulations are accelerating.

• The 2020 AGEC law (France) provides for the end of single-use plastics by 2040;
• Environmental labeling is being deployed and targets the plastic issue, both for plastic and food;
• The UN resolution of March 2022 provides for a global treaty to combat plastic pollution by the end of 2024, akin to the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Reason number 3: to maintain your brand image and reputation, to have a concrete impact on what is offered to the consumer, with a controlled risk of plastic pollution.

Reason number 4: because financial risks exist. They may be related to:

• Public and regulatory pressure;
• The cost of waste management;
• Market losses due to decreased demand from consumers aware of the environmental and social impacts of products.

In parallel, LINEA conducts structured monitoring on the theme of plastic pollution tailored to the needs of our stakeholders. This monitoring serves to shed light on:

• The scale of the issue demonstrated by scientific publications;
• Future regulatory developments, both French and European, which may go unnoticed without dedicated attention; exemplified by the proposed EU regulation on preventing plastic pellet loss to reduce microplastic pollution;
• The position of various actors.

Finally, since 2018, there has been much discussion about green taxonomy, which guides and mobilizes private investments to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and the CSRD directive, which requires large companies to include environmental data in non-financial reporting. Therefore, your actions to assess and reduce your plastic footprint will have a significant positive impact on your overall environmental performance. ■