The three companies have joined NextWave to work towards prevention of ocean-bound plastic pollution.

NextWave Plastics has announced the addition of international consumer technology company Logitech and ocean-bound plastics suppliers Prevented Ocean Plastic and #tide ocean material to its consortium of cross-industry companies and organizations taking measurable strides to keep plastic in the economy and out of the ocean. Nearly five years since the inception of NextWave Plastics, a growing number of member companies across a range of industries are collaborating to reach their shared goal of diverting a minimum of 25,000 metric tons of plastic, equivalent to 2.7 billion single-use plastic water bottles, from entering the ocean by the end of 2025.

“With almost five years our belt, the story of NextWave Plastics continues to be centered on empowerment, transparency and collaboration,” says Adrian Grenier, co-founder of Lonely Whale. “The addition of Logitech and ocean-bound plastic suppliers Prevented Ocean Plastic and #tide ocean material adds to the strength, diversity of knowledge, experience and potential of the NextWave consortium to create even greater impact and transformational change within and across industries.”

Logitech joins the ranks of NextWave member companies like HP and IKEA, recognizing that real change is drive by partnerships and collaboration, NextWave says. In addition to its pledge to avoid single-use plastic packaging whenever possible, Logitech was the first consumer electronics company to make the commitment to provide detailed carbon impact labeling on product packaging across their entire portfolio, with its first carbon labeled products hitting shelves in April 2021. They have open-sourced the methodology, measurement process and the label itself for others in the industry to use so that consumers can make informed purchase decisions.

“Plastic debris constitutes one of the most serious threats to ocean health. We are excited to join the NextWave Plastics consortium and collaboration on ways to divert and reuse plastic waste before it enters ocean-bound waterways,” says Prakash Arunkundrum, global head of operations and sustainability at Logitech. “At Logitech, we are committed to continuing to expand our efforts to eliminate single-use plastic and we are increasingly using post-consumer recycled plastic as our preferred material at scale as we design for sustainability across our portfolio.”

Core to NextWave Plastics achievement of its 2025 objective is development of the first global network of ocean-bound plastic suppliers, the organization says. Today that network spans 21 countries and 25 suppliers offering members a variety of ocean-bound plastics including material sourced from abandoned fishing gear and packaging. In alignment with NextWave’s social responsibility framework, Prevented Ocean Plastic and #tide ocean material are not only giving ocean-bound plastic new life, they are supporting local communities across the coastlines most at risk from ocean plastic pollution with reliable income and creating recycling infrastructure where they are needed most, NextWave says. The addition of Prevented Ocean Plastic and #tide ocean material enables the consortium to learn from these organizations and together grow the global network towards greater traceability and more holistic community sustainability.  

“There is talk that at least 160 billion euros will need to be invested in making Europe’s plastic systems more circular and carbon-neutral by 2050 if long-term environmental commitments are to be met. In truth we can’t wait for governments and big corporations to take action when there is so much that can be done today,” says Raffi Schieir, director of Prevented Ocean Plastic. “By working together we can lead the transformation of the recycled materials industry and build a positive, transparent circular economy where everyone is respected. By collecting and preventing ocean plastic there is a huge opportunity for ocean-bound plastic to build infrastructure, create jobs on at-risk coastlines and drive up the value of plastic.”

Prevented Ocean Plastic is recycled plastic material made from discarded plastic collected from coastal areas at risk of ocean plastic pollution. Used by supermarkets and brands across the world, it meets regulatory health and safety standards, is traceable back to source and can be identified on-pack through its distinctive triangular logo. Prevented Ocean Plastic has a wide range of commercial applications, from food packaging to cosmetics to personal protective equipment and today, diverts over 1,000 metric tons of ocean plastic pollution per month and counting, NextWave says.

The upcycled ocean-bound plastic material from #tide ranges from filament used for 3D printing, granules for electronic products to yarn suitable for apparel, bags, shoes and home and office interiors. #tide ocean material is certified ocean-bound plastic and fully traceable using block-chain tracking technology. Every shipment comes with a digital material passport, providing in-depth data about provenance, volumes, quality, processing steps and journey of the material.

“Tackling the issues of plastic pollution can only be done collaboratively. We are putting egos aside by learning from each other and growing as companies and as an organization. This is the culture we need,” says #tide founder and CEO Thomas Schori. “Our materials are as good and versatile as virgin plastics and building a resilient and efficient ecosystem is what will enable us to rapidly scale this market.”

In 2021 alone, NextWave member companies collectively prevented 959 metric tons of plastic, equivalent to more than 100 million plastic water bottles, from entering the ocean and gave it new life in over 337 premium products, including Humanscale’s Path chair, Dell’s packaging trays and CPI Card Group’s credit and debit cards, according to NextWave. Additionally, Shinola, a Detroit-based lifestyle brand, released an extension to its Detrola Sea Creatures Collection on World Oceans Day encompassing watches made using #tide ocean material granules and yarn. The brand, while known predominantly for watches, also released totes and fanny packs crafted from 100 percent recycled polyester and REPREVE, a material created from upcycled ocean-bound plastic bottles.

Drawing on nearly five years of knowledge-sharing and progress, NextWave recently released a series of case studies, Currents of Change, offering an exclusive look into how these global leaders catalyze transformative change and are taking the lead on tackling challenges, finding solutions and creating real impact.

Nevada-based company will supply EV battery recycling services in North America to global automaker.

Carson City, Nevada-based Redwood Materials says it is working with Toyota Motor North America to create “a closed loop supply chain for electric vehicles (EVs) that extends well beyond recycling to encompass collection, refurbishment and remanufacturing of large-scale sources of anode and cathode battery materials.”

Redwood adds, “Our goal is to create a fully closed loop to drive down the environmental and economic costs of EVs. Today, we’re pleased to announce our work with Toyota Motor North America to create a battery ecosystem across their lineup of electrified vehicles that encompasses all steps for full circularity.”

Redwood says the two companies initially will focus on testing and recycling Toyota batteries and “creating end-of-life pathways for the original hybrid electric vehicles.” The company says this effort ties into “the first wave of Priuses and soon, EVs, [that] are retiring from roads.”

Future efforts could address battery health screening and data management, remanufacturing and battery material supply in North America, Redwood says.

Much of the work takes place at Redwood’s 175-acre Northern Nevada Battery Materials Campus. As Redwood plans for its additional operations, it says it will target the region near Toyota’s recently announced North American battery plant in North Carolina. 

Redwood says it receives more than 6 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of end-of-life batteries annually for recycling that are then refined and remanufactured into critical battery materials. The company says it is ramping up production of anode and cathode components in the United States to 100 GWh annually by 2025, which it calls “enough to produce more than 1 million EVs per year.”

The company says it will, by 2030, scale to 500 GWh, to handle batteries from some 5 million EVs annually.

Redwood credits Toyota as the company that “paved the way for clean transportation with the introduction of the Toyota Prius hybrid electric vehicle more than 20 years ago.”

Earlier this year, Redwood announced a California-based program being undertaken with Ford Motor Co. and Volvo Cars to collect lithium-ion (Li-ion) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) EV batteries from those producers discarded in that state.

Several trade groups have expressed concern surrounding Canada’s ban on single-use plastics.

Canada’s Environment Ministry has released regulations to ban single-use plastics in the country. Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault and Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos published regulations that prohibit single-use plastics, including checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware made from or containing plastics that are hard to recycle, ring carriers, stir sticks and straws (with some exceptions).

According to a news release from Canada’s Environment Ministry, the ban on the manufacture and import of these single-use plastics will come into effect in December. The government will allow businesses time to transition and deplete their existing stock of these single-use plastic products through December 2023. The ruling also prohibits the export of plastics in those six categories by the end of 2025.

Canada’s Environment Ministry says it expects this ban to result in the estimated elimination of more than 1.3 million metric tons of hard-to-recycle plastics and more than 22,000 metric tons of plastic pollution.

“We promised Canadians we would deliver a ban on single-use plastics. Today, that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Guilbeault says. “By the end of the year, you won’t be able to manufacture or import these harmful plastics. After that, businesses will begin offering the sustainable solutions Canadians want, whether that’s paper straws or reusable bags. With these new regulations, we’re taking a historic leap forward in reducing plastic pollution and keeping our communities and the places we love clean.”

Some industry associations have expressed concern over this ruling. The Plastics Industry Association (Plastics), Washington, states that it is disappointed in the ban.

“The disregard for manufacturing jobs on both sides of the border is alarming,” says Matt Seaholm, president and CEO of Plastics. “The lack of a comprehensive economic analysis in imposing such sweeping regulations is really frustrating. There will be plastics companies that have to cut jobs or outright close facilities because of this action.

“Our members never want to see one of their products end up where it doesn’t belong. But while banning a product will certainly make it go away, replacing it with an alternative that is likely to have a bigger impact on the environment is wholly counterproductive.”

Seaholm adds that the regulations ignore opportunities for recycling single-use plastics. “Banning these products will increase costs to businesses and consumers in the U.S. and Canada, while doing nothing to significantly reduce litter or waste.”

The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC), Ottawa, Ontario, also expressed disappointment in the ban. CIAC states that, “bans of some single-use plastic items will not solve the overall problem of plastics pollution and the management of postconsumer plastics.”

“We are disappointed that safe, inert plastic materials that play such an important role in Canadians’ lives are being banned when innovative technologies like advanced recycling are available to manage them effectively,” says Elena Mantagaris, vice president of the CIAC Plastics Division. “Rather than bans, we need to invest in recycling infrastructure and innovation, including infrastructure to manage compostables, to harness the $8 billion value of plastics that are currently sent to landfill and recirculate them in the economy.”

CIAC reports that it plans to work with Canada’s federal government to understand the scope of impacts the ban will have on businesses.

The award, recognizing sustainable packaging, will be facilitated through Walmart's Circular Connector.

The U.S. Plastics Pact is leveraging Walmart’s Circular Connector to showcase businesses helping to keep plastic packaging in the economy and out of the environment and help make progress on the U.S. Pact’s four targets.

“Eliminating problematic and unnecessary plastic packaging and taking other actions to ensure that 100 percent of plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 are focal points of the U.S. Plastics Pact’s work. We are proud to partner with Walmart’s Circular Connector to help advance packaging solutions that contribute to a circular economy,” says U.S. Plastics Pact Executive Director Emily Tipaldo. “Winners will have the opportunity to put their solutions in front of technical staff who can assess viability and scalability alongside key decisions-makers across the plastics packaging value chain.”

“Sustainability at Walmart is an integrated part of our business, helping propel us toward our ambition to pursue becoming a regenerative company. We have made progress toward achieving our sustainability goals; however, there is still a long way to go – and we need your ideas to help us get there,” says Walmart Director of Sustainable Packaging and U.S. Pact Advisory Council Vice Chair Ashley C. Hall. “The Circular Connector is a tool designed to bridge the gap between those who need sustainable packaging solutions and those who offer them. Sustainable packaging solutions submitted to Walmart for evaluation through the tool could be considered for use by our Walmart Private Brands in addition to a U.S. Plastics Packaging Innovation Award.”

All companies that submit packaging solutions into Walmart’s Circular Connector before Aug. 12 will be considered for a U.S. Plastics Pact Packaging Innovation Award. There is no cost to enter.

Businesses of all sizes that service the U.S. market are eligible to enter. 

The book provides guidance on how to design recyclable packaging.

Belgium-based RecyClass has published a design book clarifying the concepts of recyclability and design for recycling which are based on a science-driven approach. It also elaborates the concept of RecyClass design for recycling guidelines. RecyClass says the book can be used by all plastic industry actors working on designing recyclable plastic packaging.

The book provides a step-by-step explanation and guidance on how to design rigid and flexible plastic packaging to make it compatible with recycling, ultimately making it circular. It defines general principles and explains how the RecyClass design for recycling guidelines are to be interpreted.

Beyond providing insights into how the design for recycling guidelines work, the document examines the functioning of sorting and recycling processes, and how they determine packaging recyclability.

“Design for recycling is a crucial, first step in ensuring that a product will be recyclable at the end of its use phase,” says Paolo Glerean, RecyClass chairman. “It offers insights into how plastic packaging should be designed and how different components of packaging influence its compatibility with recycling. This approach leads to improved quality of recycled plastic, and thereby stimulates its uptake in new packaging applications.”

RecyClass Design Book is a result of a collaboration of the entire plastic value chain represented mainly by RecyClass members and its supporters, aiming to provide scientifically verified and fact-based guidance with the overall objective of fostering a positive environment for innovation that opens the door for a circular plastic future.

Companies eager to lead the move towards circularity can now look to RecyClass for a comprehensive tool-box to understand, assess and certify plastic packaging recyclability and to effectively transition from a linear to a circular plastic economy, the organization says.