A Plastic Planet has a packed two weeks of change-making events which are set to turn the tide on plastic pollution. First stop is Paris this week where Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, is joining 150 member states, world leaders and industry executives who have come together to negotiate the UN’s #GlobalPlasticsTreaty. Other dates to look out for:
– 5th June: World Environment Day Virtual Symposium
– 6th June: London Design Biennale
– 8th June: Ocean Talks

On the 1st June in Paris, A Plastic Planet  launched the Plastic Health Council. The objective is to protect future generations from the manmade plastic health crisis. On the day, expert scientists revealed the truth on the impact of micro, nano-plastics and chemicals on human health.

On April 11th, as the UK lead in the National Dialogues for the UN Global Plastics Treat, A Plastic Planet co-hosted the second Treaty Dialogues, bringing all stakeholders together, from petrochemical to industry, to help inform the UK government on negotiating position on the Treaty itself. Breakout sessions focusing on upstream and downstream impact helped form the UK Dialogues report, leading up to the next INC Treaty Negotiations to be held in Paris in May. A robust legally binding Plastics Treaty is a huge springboard for eradication of plastic waste.

A Plastic Planet have questioned Sainsbury’s commitment to save “450 tonnes” of plastic per year by vacuum packing beef mince. Sainsbury’s has announced it is removing traditional plastic tray packaging across its entire beef mince range and replacing it with a vacuum-packed alternative, which the supermarket says uses a minimum of 55% less plastic. The revamped packaging is both in-store and online from 23rd February However, the announcement has drawn criticism, with Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet saying there is more to it than meets the eye. “While there will be a saving in the weight of plastic used, switching to flexible plastics over rigid ones is no more ‘green’ than changing from a petrol to a diesel vehicle. Flexible plastics are almost impossible to recycle, especially where they are food contaminated. Read more here.

After two years of design, content creation and build, A Plastic Planet are delighted to announce that the PlasticFree.com platform has officially launched this month! The world’s first innovation platform for materials and systems solutions, PlasticFree will become the trusted, global, authoritative resource to help the creative industry design out plastic waste at source and accelerate towards a better future. Watch more here.

On the 2nd of February 14:00 – 16:00 EST join Sain Sutherland and other guest speakers at the Tishman Auditorium in New York for an inspiring talk – Our Incredible Future NOW. Why are we still talking about the problem when we have so many answers. Click here for tickets.

After 2 years hard work on the design and build, A Plastic Planet are excited to announce the launch of the world’s first materials and systems change solutions platform on 9th January 2023. PlasticFree is built by creatives, for the 160m global creatives. Highly visual, rich with case studies and proof points, PlasticFree will empower creatives to rethink how we make everything, designing out plastic pollution from the very beginning. Follow @createplasticfree and get inspired at the exciting future this new platform creates.

With just 656 days to go until UNEA 6 2024 and the deadline for the final draft of the Global Plastics Treaty, A Plastic Planet are happy to report that on 1st November they held the first UN Plastics Treaty Dialogues for the UK. These dialogues will extend to 2024 in parallel with the INC negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty. As UK lead of OPLN and a member of their Global Advisory, A Plastic Planet are working with the UK Government and DEFRA to help inform them of the points of tension and the areas of consensus across the key stakeholders, from the petrochemical industry to consumer goods industry to NGOs.

It’s October, time for the annual Dieline Conference, one of the most influential one-day hybrid events focused on branding and packaging for the world’s best brands, top agencies and thousands of designers. Part of New York’s prestigious Advertising Week, the 2022 Dieline theme is ‘Unpacking the Brands of Today and the Trends of Tomorrow’- a perfect fit for A Plastic Planet to talk directly to our target audience about the launch of Plastic Free. Sian Sutherland will open with a question: ‘What Happens if 160 Million Creatives Design a Plastic-Free World?
The plastic crisis is a gift. A fossil fuel defibrillator alerting humanity that we need to rethink our entire production and material systems. And the good news? It’s already happening…’

If you want to turn off the plastic tap once and for all, then we want to hear from you. Create Plastic Free is the world’s first materials intelligence and systems change solution platform – is looking for a dynamic, future-thinking Social Media Manager to join their team. The successful candidate will oversee the social presence of both Plastic Free and its parent company A Plastic Planet across Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok. This is a perfect role for someone looking to take the next step in their career, taking on lots of responsibility in a small but hugely ambitious team. Apply here.

This month A Plastic Planet has challenged Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to commit their government to a strict roadmap for making the UK plastic free by 2037. A Plastic Planet reports that plastic is ‘materially unsuited to single-use applications’, therefore new single-use plastic bans should be introduced ‘as early as 2024’ – prohibiting plastic sachets, bags, pots, single-use bottles, and fruit and veg wrapping. Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet, said: “As a down payment on global leadership the UK should show the opportunities of Brexit, by going further and faster on taking the UK plastic free. “If the new Prime Minister does so, they will enjoy very strong public support.”