Welcome to NEO’s weekly news monitoring of the plastics industry.
Every Monday (this time, Wednesday), we publish a roundup of the top developments in plastics and sustainability – from regulatory changes to company news.
This week’s highlights:
- Food company Danone is the first major French corporate to become a “purpose-driven company,” pledging to spend billions on efforts to cut its plastic use, help its farmer suppliers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But shareholders are dissatisfied with the company’s financial underperformance, showing that tackling environmental problems is important – as long as it doesn’t detract from increasing earnings and shareholder dividends. (Financial Times)
- Dole Asia has launched a $2 million-a-year initiative to end global malnutrition and food insecurity, as well as to improve the sustainability of its operations and the wellbeing of its workers and farmers. Among other things, the company pledged to end the use of petroleum-based plastic packaging by 2025 and to go carbon neutral by 2030. (Forbes)
- Victoria has become the third state in Australia to ban single-use plastics, including polystyrene containers, straws, cutlery and plates, by 2023. South Australian legislation also considers a future ban on single-use coffee cups and lids and single-use plastic bowls, plates, food containers and other plastic products. (Wall Street Journal)