Alliance to End Plastic Waste summarizes 2022 efforts

The Singapore-based Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) has published the newest version of its annual progress report, which summarizes its efforts and initiatives in 2022.

A spokesperson for the alliance says the report underscores its commitment to transparency and accountability, as it has redefined its approach to measuring impact based on valuable stakeholder input.

The report indicates the AEPW helped divert and recycle more than 77,000 tons of plastic scrap last year. To date, it has raised $1.3 billion to go toward its fundraising target of $1.5 billion.

The 56-page document includes a message from AEPW President and CEO Jacob Duer, who writes, in part, “In the Global South, we are directly diverting plastic waste from the environment and landfills, co-creating integrated waste management solutions with local governments and financial institutions to improve community waste management and advancing a circular economy.”

In nations with developed economies, Duer says the alliance is focused on pioneering the innovation needed to create a more circular economy.

“This has included investing in intelligent waste sorting, incentivizing innovative solutions to recycle a broader range of plastics and scaling reusable packaging systems," he adds.

“With the support of our member companies, we continue to grow as a global laboratory for new ideas, progressing new technologies business models, and solutions for ending plastic waste entering the environment," says AEPW board Chair Jim Fitterling, who also is CEO of Dow.

The roster of AEPW companies is lengthy. In addition to Dow, it includes Berry Global Group, ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, SABIC, Shell, waste and recycling services firm Veolia and recycling technology provider Tomra Systems ASA.

In its 2022 progress report, AEPW portrays several projects, including its involvement in the Myplas USA flexible packaging plant in Rogers, Minnesota, and several in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region. The Myplas USA facility, after ramping up later this year, is expected to be able to reprocess some 45,000 tons of plastic scrap annually.