Page 19 - Plastics News April 2019

CompAny news

Unilever plans to increase recycled Saint-Gobain agrees to pay $45

plastics explore materials million to Vermont

nilever revealed its plans to increase recycled he state of Vermont has reached a settlement
Uplastics and explore alternative materials such as Twith a plastics company that will ensure hundreds
aluminium, paper and glass. Decoupling our growth from of people in the Bennington area whose drinking
our environmental impact is at the heart of our Unilever water wells were contaminated with a potentially
Sustainable Living Plan targets to reduce the weight of dangerous chemical have access to clean water, top
state officials said. Saint-Gobain has agreed to pay
the bulk of a $45 million infrastructure project that
will extend municipal water lines to nearly 500 homes
and businesses in Bennington and North Bennington.
Under the terms of the settlement, Vermont will pick
up about $5 million of the project costs. Attorney
General TJ Donovan said it’s unlikely the state would
have seen a better outcome had it pursued a lawsuit
against Saint-Gobain. “People can dig in and we can
litigate, and I can tell you that we would be back here
in five or seven years probably in the same ballpark,”
our packaging by one third by 2020 and halving the waste
associated with the disposal of our products by 2020. The Donovan said. Gov. Phil Scott said it won’t be feasible
compny said Since 2010, our total waste footprint per to extend municipal water lines to all of the households
consumer use has reduced by 31%†. We have successfully whose wells were contaminated by PFOA, the chemical
decoupled the amount of packaging we purchase from suspected to have possibly stemmed from the former
our business growth. However we want, and need, to go Chemfab plant in North Bennington. In those instances,
further in leading the way towards a circular economy Scott said Saint-Gobain will pay to drill new wells for
for all our packaging materials – especially plastic. In those homes, or cover the cost of water treatment
January 2017, we committed to ensuring that 100% of our systems. Saint-Gobain agreed in 2017 to pay for a $20
plastic packaging will be designed to be fully reusable, million water line extension in North Bennington. Under
recyclable or compostable by 2025. To help create an end the settlement announced Wednesday, the company
market for this material, we also committed to increase will pay for the majority of a water line extension in
the recycled plastic content in our packaging to at least Bennington that’s expected to cost as much as $25
25% by 2025. We are moving away from using single-use
plastic packaging – that is, plastic made to be used only
once. We have also committed to working towards 100%
reusable, recyclable or compostable plastic by 2025. We
have adopted an internal framework which is shaping
our thinking and future innovation: less plastic, better
plastic, and no plastic. We are among a growing number of
brands, retailers and packaging companies to make plastic
packaging commitments. We are determined to reduce
our use of single-use plastics by investing in alternative
models of consumption which focus on refills and reusable
packaging. Our internal framework recognises the
importance of recycling but we know it’s not the only million.Construction on the water line extension will
solution. In some cases, “no plastic” may be the best begin this summer and is expected to take two years.
solution – and this is one of the most exciting parts of our The settlement does not affect a class-action lawsuit
strategy for plastic. We're exploring alternative materials filed by Bennington-area homeowners against Saint-
such as aluminium, paper and glass. Gobain.

19 April 2019 Plastics News