A group of businesses and environmental leaders jointly launched the Plant Based Products Council (PBPC), a group of organizations working to guide the global economy toward more sustainable and responsible consumer products and packaging through greater use of plant based materials.
Recognizing that the ever growing global demand for consumer goods and convenient packaging poses a serious threat to the environment, the Plant Based Products Council promotes the adoption and use of products derived from renewable biomass.
The group will advocate for private sector programs and government policies to encourage use of renewable materials and feedstocks, including policies to reduce carbon emissions, improve water quality and soil health, and curtail solid waste destined for landfills by purposeful closed loop end-of-life strategies through recycling and composting.
“Businesses and consumers alike recognize the need to solve the problem of plastic pollution that harms our environment,” said John Bode, president and chief executive officer of the Corn Refiners Association. “The PBPC will seek plant-based solutions, bringing together government, non-profit, and corporate entities to address environmental challenges while driving economic opportunity.”
PBPC’s membership includes businesses large and small, from across the U.S., that produce, distribute or sell products/packaging from renewable biomass inputs, as well as those organizations that have made related public commitments to build a more sustainable future. In addition to its membership, the PBPC features an Advisory Board consisting of leading environmental organizations and NGOs.
Today, nearly 80 percent of plastics are currently in a landfill or polluting the environment, and even among recyclables, most plastics never reach the intended facilities.
Polling, conducted in August 2018 and released by the Plant Based Products Council, reinforces the notion that Millennial consumers are supportive of bioplastics and even willing to pay more for them.
Findings in the polling include:
•48 percent of Millennials feel most guilty about their own plastic use compared to other resources, such as paper (33 percent), water (31 percent) or the amount they drive (19 percent).
•64 percent of Millennials are willing to use alternatives to plastic.
•60 percent of Millennials surprised by the lack of alternative options to plastic.
•While only 13 percent are “very familiar” with bioplastic, once described, 90 percent become favorable to bioplastics.
In addition to providing a platform for collaboration, the Plant Based Products Council also launched an extensive database, featuring over 480 plant based and biobased products currently on the market, with plans to continue to expand the database. The database showcases the versatility of plant-based materials and is designed to help guide businesses and consumers toward more sustainable decisions.
The following companies are founding members of the Plant Based Products Council: Georgia-Pacific, Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill, Tate & Lyle, Ingredion, WestRock-Multi Packaging Solutions, Stone Straw, Loliware, Visolis Biotechnology, Newtrient, Future iQ, Emerald Brands, Hemp Road Trip, Hemp Industries Association, and Tree Free Hemp.
The following organizations and individuals will serve on PBPC’s Advisory Board: GreenBlue, Californians Against Waste, International Conservation Caucus Foundation, University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Professor Ramani Narayan, of Michigan State University’s Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials
Science.
Published in the March 2019 Edition
