Ecostore Joins Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s commitment

Ecostore Joins Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s ‘a Line in the Sand’ - Global Commitment to Eliminate Plastic Pollution at the Source

Auckland, New Zealand – 29 October 2018: Ecostore today announced that it has signed ‘A Line in the Sand - a Global Commitment’ to eradicate plastic waste and pollution at the source. The initiative is led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in collaboration with the UN Environment, and will be officially unveiled at the Our Ocean Conference in Bali today.

Ecostore is one of 250 organisations that has signed the new 2018 Global Commitment, including many of the world’s largest packaging producers, consumer brands, retailers and recyclers, as well as governments and NGOs. Signatories include companies representing 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally.

The Global Commitment aims to create ‘a new normal’ for plastic packaging. Targets will be reviewed every 18 months and become increasingly ambitious over the coming years. Businesses that sign the commitment will publish annual data on their progress to help drive momentum and ensure transparency.

Ecostore has signed and pledged to put in place policies and enable conditions to support the Global Commitment’s targets and vision. Ecostore is committed to working towards an ambitious set of targets in the fight to beat plastics pollution. These targets include:

• 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable or recyclable by 2023.
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• By 2025 our goal is that 100% of the bottles in our range are made from renewable or recycled content.

• Move from single-use to reuse packaging models by increasing the sales of bulk packs (via refill stations and consumer purchase) with 140% growth in units over 5 years.

• Continue to invest in responsibly managed renewable sources (sugarcane biobased plastic, currently this sits at 80%) across all its packaging between 2018 and 2025.

• Set up a packaging return scheme where plastic packaging will be returned and reused as recycled content – volume to be collected to grow year on year.

The new plastic targets build on ecostore’s existing quarter of a century long commitment to making its packaging more sustainable – primarily through investing in sugar biobased plastic, increasing recyclability and reducing single use options. These targets are part of its broader commitment to minimising the environmental impact of its business.

Dame Ellen MacArthur, Founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: “We know that cleaning up plastics from our beaches and oceans is vital, but this does not stop the tide of plastic entering the oceans each year. We need to move upstream to the source of the flow. The New Plastics Economy Global Commitment draws a line in the sand, with businesses, governments and others around the world uniting behind a clear vision for what we need to create a circular economy for plastic. This is just one step on what will be a challenging journey, but one which can lead to huge benefits for society, the economy and the environment. I encourage all businesses and governments to go further and embark on a race to the top in the creation of a circular economy for plastic. One in which this material never becomes waste or pollution.”

Pablo Kraus, Managing Director of ecostore, says the company is a firm supporter of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and the extensive work being done through theNew Plastics Economy initiative.

“Sustainability has been at the very core of our business since our beginnings and we therefore take our responsibility regarding packaging very seriously. We see it as critical that ecostore is part of the concerted response to address today's plastics challenge. We agree, it is essential that businesses step up as leaders in this space and drive change.

“As a business we are committed to addressing both the plastic source and waste issues. We are also committed to using sustainable, renewable raw materials and ingredients in our products. As such, since 2014, we have been using sugar biobased plastic to make our packaging. We will continue to invest in this responsible, renewable sourcing approach over the coming years.

“In addition, we encourage the refill of our bottles at our 60 refill stations throughout the country at locations including organic retailers like Good For Refillery, Bin Inn and Huckleberry.”

Ecostore’s signatory of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment underlines the company’s position as an industry leader in sustainability.

Key facts:

• Ecostore is leading the way, when it comes to encouraging the practice of refilling bottles. In one year, Kiwis have refilled bottles with over 30,000 litres of the company’s cleaning and personal care products.

• Ecostore is committed to reducing plastics pollution. Since moving to sugar plastic bottles in 2014, the company has saved just under 4500 tonnes of carbon from being released into the air, which is the equivalent of emissions caused by driving a car from Cape Reinga to Bluff 8500 times.

• The company is also stimulating demand for collecting and recycling, contributing towards its toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes being collected, and reusing the plastic to create spanners to open bulk containers, reducing the use of virgin plastics.

• In terms of operations, ecostore has had a climate-neutral manufacturing facility in Auckland, New Zealand, since 2010, and has offset 769 tonnes of carbon over the last eight years.

-ENDS-

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