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Tomra Joins New Global Alliance To End Plastic Waste

LONDON - Tomra, a global provider of reverse vending machine, has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste , a new global not-for-profit organization that has committed $1.5 billion to solutions to eliminate plastic waste. The Alliance to End Plastic Waste comprises nearly 30 members from companies that make, use, sell, process, collect and recycle plastics, which is also known as the plastics value chain. Over the next five years, the $1.5 billion commitment will be invested in projects to develop solut...

June 24, 2019 by Emily Jed

LONDON - Tomra, a global provider of reverse vending machine, has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste , a new global not-for-profit organization that has committed $1.5 billion to solutions to eliminate plastic waste.

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste comprises nearly 30 members from companies that make, use, sell, process, collect and recycle plastics, which is also known as the plastics value chain. Over the next five years, the $1.5 billion commitment will be invested in projects to develop solutions for minimizing and managing plastic waste to enable a circular economy.

Norway-headquartered Tomra says it collects 40 billion used beverage containers a year through its reverse vending machines alone. It joins existing Alliance members that include P&G, PepsiCo, Dow, Exxon and Veolia.

Alliance to End Plastic Waste chairman David Taylor, who is also chairman, president and chief executive of Procter & Gamble, noted that the Alliance is rapidly gathering pace and attracting influential and innovative members to its cause.

"This is the widest-ranging collective effort of our time to tackle the scourge of plastic waste in the environment," Taylor remarked. "Tomra has a strong track record in developing technological innovations and taking impressive action to effectively collect and sort plastics. The company brings unparalleled expertise in driving huge improvements in consumer behavior, enabling brand owners to use high-quality recycled plastics and, ultimately, preventing vast amounts of waste."

Tomra president and chief executive Stefan Ranstrand emphasized that the Alliance's collective action will be a catalyst to eliminating plastic pollution from the planet. "We urgently need to transform the recycling industry by creating value out of waste," he said. "In some markets, recycling rates are as high as 98%, and some consumer goods companies are now making new products out of 100%-recycled materials. But this is only a very small part of the picture, and much more must be done to preserve our world for generations to come."