On Earth Day, 3M announces goal
to reduce dependence on new plastic
ST. PAUL, Minn., April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Earth Day,
3M (NYSE:MMM) is committing to reduce
its use of new plastic made from petroleum. By 2025, 3M aims to achieve a new sustainability goal:
reduce dependence on virgin fossil-based plastic by 125 million
pounds.
On Earth Day, 3M commits to reduce
its use of new plastic made from petroleum by 125 million pounds by
2025.
"The materials and infrastructure that support a global
transition away from petroleum-based plastics are undergoing rapid
transformation and there's palpable momentum for change," said
Gayle Schueller, 3M senior vice president and chief sustainability
officer. "3M has a history of
applying science to create sustainable alternatives to plastic and
with this public goal, it will be easier to share these solutions
and collaborate with others on advancing a global circular
economy."
To achieve this new goal, 3M is
innovating the products and packaging in its Consumer Business
Group. Advancements will include use of recycled content and
bio-based plastics, and designs to decrease overall plastic use.
Scotch-Brite® Greener Clean Non-Scratch Scrubbers, which are made
with 75% post-consumer recycled plastic and encased in recyclable
packaging made from 100% recycled content, offer a prime example of
the improvements 3M is making.
3M is implementing its transition
away from new plastic quickly and aims to achieve the
125-million-pound reduction—more than five times the weight of the
Eiffel Tower—by the end of 2025.
"The time is now," said Jeff
Lavers, group president, 3M
Consumer. "The pandemic has created significant new ways of doing
business that can benefit both the economy and environment. We will
change how we bring products to market, to benefit our
customers and our consumers."
Plastic pollution is a pressing global challenge, and the
production of fossil-based plastics negatively impacts the global
climate through the release of greenhouse gas emissions. A recent
study from the Center on International Environmental Law found that
by 2050, emissions from the plastic industry will be equivalent to
those of 615 coal plants—totaling more than 2.75 billion metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). By reducing
use of this material, 3M can help
address these challenges—ultimately aligning with its existing
efforts to minimize waste and recent goal to achieve carbon
neutrality in its operations by 2050.
3M continues to work with its
researchers, engineers, and scientists, as well as suppliers,
customers, nongovernmental organizations, and community leaders to
improve the circularity of 3M
products and materials. 3M requires
every new product to have a Sustainability Value Commitment that
drives impact for the greater good. Commitments include
recyclability, using recycled or renewable materials, opportunities
for reuse at the end of a product's lifespan and more.
"An essential element of becoming more circular is incorporating
more recycled content and sustainable biomass in our products,"
said Brendan Edgerton, director of
circular economy at World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WBCSD). "Without it, we cannot achieve a society in
which nine billion people can live well within planetary
boundaries. I applaud 3M's commitment to the circular economy as
illustrated in their new goal and we look forward to supporting
them in achieving it."
3M has been a part of the Ellen
MacArthur Foundation to advance circular economy since 2019 and is
collaborating with fellow members to drive greater global impact.
The company has supported The Recycling Partnership for more than
four years, and in 2020, it provided the initial investment for the
Recycling Inclusion Fund to advance recycling infrastructure and
education, and research into the challenges that prevent a more
equitable recycling system. 3M was an
initial funder for Closed Loop Partners in 2014 and joined fellow
founding investors to reinvest more than $54
million in 2020. More recently, 3M has also co-funded projects like the U.S. and
Canada Recycling Infrastructure and Plastic Waste Map—a
first-of-its-kind public tool highlighting and tracking the
diversity of plastic waste as well as opportunities to recapture
valuable plastics and re-incorporate them into the manufacturing
supply chain.
"In a resource-constrained world, advancing a circular economy
means moving away from the costly extraction of limited raw
materials, including fossil fuels, to make virgin plastic. There
are enormous environmental, social and economic benefits to
treating existing plastics as a resource, maximizing their value
and keeping them in play," said Bridget
Croke, managing director at Closed Loop Partners. "We're
proud to be a long-time partner of 3M; their commitment to reduce their dependence
on virgin plastics sets a precedent for how industry leaders can
strengthen the market for recycled plastics and drive circularity
forward."
To learn more about how 3M is
positively impacting the planet, visit 3M.com/sustainability.
About 3M
At 3M, we apply science in
collaborative ways to improve lives daily as our employees connect
with customers all around the world. Learn more about 3M's creative
solutions to global challenges at www.3M.com or on
Twitter @3M or @3MNews.
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