ECOS works to cut our global plastic footprint and ensure clean material loops in a circular plastics economy by engaging in standards and related policy developments. We contribute to policy developments related to plastics in order to push for an absolute reduction of our plastic footprint. We believe that plastic products should be clean and circular by design, and that they can be recycled into new products. We also help develop test methods, criteria and regulatory targets to dramatically reduce microplastics emissions into the environment. As standards shape the essential part of the European and global markets for plastics, ECOS also contributes to standardisation workin order to foster net environmental benefits. The more robust and ambitious the standards in the plastics field, the better the overall environmental performance of plastics and the lower the overall pollution level of the sector.
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The list of 'green' claims found on plastic products is longer than ever but often they are as misleading as they sound promising. Too good to be true? Join our webinar for a review of reliable green claims on plastic products!
Together with the Rethink Plastic alliance we have examined ‘green’ claims made on 82 plastic items. We have focused on everyday products, including items which are the most common on beaches across Europe such as plastic bottles, bags and cutlery.
In May 2021, ECOS, Zero Waste Europe and the Rethink Plastic alliance sent a letter calling on the European Commission to put on hold the development of overarching standards on plastics recyclability until related EU laws are adopted. Going ahead with this standardisation process now would give companies the opportunity to set the ambition of definitions of recyclability-related terms, potentially weakening effective recyclability rates in Europe for the years to come.
Our new report examines types of online green claims consumers are faced with on plastic products, and explains how they could be misunderstood or even counter environmental objectives.
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