Page 44 - Plastics News May 2023

Major Global Investors Urge Brands and Retailers to Decisively Act on
‘Plastics Crisis’

various initiatives such as the Global
Plastics Treaty and the European Un-
ion’s Packaging and Packaging Waste
Regulation.
According to the joint statement, the
“estimated costs to society from plas-
tic pollution . . . exceed $100 billion
per year.”

“It’s worrying to see most companies
in the [fast-moving consumer goods]
and grocery retail sectors are taking
limited action to mitigate the financial
risks posed by plastics,” commented
he latest salvo in the war on plas- ter calls on such global brands as Co- Angélique Laskewitz, executive direc-
Ttics was fired last week in a state- ca-Cola, Kroger, and Nestlé to make tor of VBDO, the Dutch Association
ment from investors managing com- a “real and scalable change” in reduc- of Investors for Sustainable Develop-
bined assets of $10 trillion calling on ing consumption of single-use plastic ment that is coordinating the cam-
consumer goods companies and retail packaging and phasing out hazardous paign. “Today investors are sending a
grocery stores to “act more swiftly to chemicals. The signatories also urge clear signal to these companies they
address the plastics crisis.” these companies to “advocate for — will face ever-increasing pressure if
not against — the policy framework
Issued on May 3, 2023, and signed by they don’t act soon to substantially re-
185 investors with a bankroll that ex- needed to support these actions." duce their plastic footprint.”
ceeds the gross domestic product of Namely, they are asking brand own-
all but a handful of countries, the let- ers and major retail outlets to support

Global Auto Manufacturers Shift from Just-in-Time to Just-in-Case Strategy,
Says Survey

to “just-in-case” strategies, manufac-
turers are holding more stock to pro-
tect against unplanned disruptions.
Produced in partnership with lead-
ing industry publication Automotive
Manufacturing Solutions, the survey
was completed by a mix of global
industry experts from vehicle manu-
facturers, suppliers, and engineering.
Nearly two thirds (62%) of respond-
ents cited ongoing supply chain con-
cerns when asked to select their top
three challenges to automotive manu-
upply chain disruptions and rising lean manufacturing principles reveals facturing, while 41% cited the impact
Smaterial costs are causing the glob- a new survey commissioned by ABB of material and component price in-
al automotive industry to re-evaluate Robotics. Shifting from “just-in-time” creases and 31% pointed to growing

44 PLASTICS NEWS May 2023