Sonae MC’s commitment to the responsible use of plastics
Sonae MC’s commitment to the responsible use of plastics is highlighted, within the scope of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment report, with a performance that places the company among the best retailers in the field.
In 2019, Sonae MC became the 1st Portuguese retailer to join the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, joining a group of entities from different sectors, who share a common vision for a circular plastics economy. Since then, Sonae MC has annually reported its progress in relation to the ambitious goals it has set for its plastic packaging, and to which it is deeply committed, namely, to ensure that by 2025 its private label packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable.
The report confirms that the Portuguese company had a positive evolution compared to 2019 and a performance above the retail average, when compared to signatories from all over the world and its sector: according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s criteria, Sonae MC is the 3rd retailer with the highest percentage of effectively reused, recyclable or compostable packaging, recording an improvement of approximately 4 p.p.’s compared to 2019, also being above the sector average in the incorporation of recycled plastics.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative has the collaboration of the United Nations’ Environment Program and is signed by more than 500 organizations worldwide, which share the same vision, that plastic should not be turned into waste. Pointing out possible solutions, this commitment, created in October 2018, serves as the basis for the definition of concrete goals adapted to the reality of each partner, according to a common goal: anticipating to 2025 the European goals established for 2030. In a phased manner, this global commitment’s main goals are to eliminate unnecessary plastic objects, to redesign packaging, to invest in innovation, so that all plastic can be reusable, recyclable or compostable, and to ensure that all the plastic we use is used in a circular manner and dissociated from the consumption of finite resources.
“This performance reflects Sonae MC’s commitment and focus on promoting a circular economy for plastics. As part of our Strategy for the Responsible Use of Plastics, our teams have been working consistently and extensively with our partners in searching and developing solutions that can ensure the recyclability of our plastic packaging, eliminating the unnecessary use of resources and the incorporation of recycled raw material whenever possible. In order to promote the effective recycling of our packaging, we have been making our customers aware of the topic, namely through the recycling iconography that illustrates, in a simple way, the procedures that should be adopted by the consumer. In addition, we continue to work with the industry to develop innovative solutions for packaging that currently do not have a viable alternative, and with other operators to improve sorting and recycling systems. The change to a circular model implies a systemic change that will only be successful with the mobilization of the entire sector” explains Mariana Pereira da Silva, Director of Sustainability at Sonae MC.
The brand’s initiatives in this area are regularly communicated on the www.plasticoresponsavel.continente.pt platform.
In 2019, Sonae MC became the 1st Portuguese retailer to join the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, joining a group of entities from different sectors, who share a common vision for a circular plastics economy. Since then, Sonae MC has annually reported its progress in relation to the ambitious goals it has set for its plastic packaging, and to which it is deeply committed, namely, to ensure that by 2025 its private label packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable.
The report confirms that the Portuguese company had a positive evolution compared to 2019 and a performance above the retail average, when compared to signatories from all over the world and its sector: according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s criteria, Sonae MC is the 3rd retailer with the highest percentage of effectively reused, recyclable or compostable packaging, recording an improvement of approximately 4 p.p.’s compared to 2019, also being above the sector average in the incorporation of recycled plastics.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative has the collaboration of the United Nations’ Environment Program and is signed by more than 500 organizations worldwide, which share the same vision, that plastic should not be turned into waste. Pointing out possible solutions, this commitment, created in October 2018, serves as the basis for the definition of concrete goals adapted to the reality of each partner, according to a common goal: anticipating to 2025 the European goals established for 2030. In a phased manner, this global commitment’s main goals are to eliminate unnecessary plastic objects, to redesign packaging, to invest in innovation, so that all plastic can be reusable, recyclable or compostable, and to ensure that all the plastic we use is used in a circular manner and dissociated from the consumption of finite resources.
“This performance reflects Sonae MC’s commitment and focus on promoting a circular economy for plastics. As part of our Strategy for the Responsible Use of Plastics, our teams have been working consistently and extensively with our partners in searching and developing solutions that can ensure the recyclability of our plastic packaging, eliminating the unnecessary use of resources and the incorporation of recycled raw material whenever possible. In order to promote the effective recycling of our packaging, we have been making our customers aware of the topic, namely through the recycling iconography that illustrates, in a simple way, the procedures that should be adopted by the consumer. In addition, we continue to work with the industry to develop innovative solutions for packaging that currently do not have a viable alternative, and with other operators to improve sorting and recycling systems. The change to a circular model implies a systemic change that will only be successful with the mobilization of the entire sector” explains Mariana Pereira da Silva, Director of Sustainability at Sonae MC.
The brand’s initiatives in this area are regularly communicated on the www.plasticoresponsavel.continente.pt platform.