In a significant move towards addressing the global plastic pollution crisis, social impact brand Ocean Bottle has partnered with more than 60 plastic waste innovator companies in the Innovation Alliance for a Global Plastics Treaty (IAGPT). The alliance aims to advocate for circular solutions and provide a voice for plastic innovators in the ongoing negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty.
The negotiations for the treaty, which began in March 2022 following a historic UN resolution to end plastic pollution, are now entering their second round. With the backing of 170 nations worldwide, the resolution set ambitious goals to curb plastic pollution on a global scale.
Ocean Bottle, known for its commitment to tackling the plastics crisis, will join the IAGPT at the next stage of negotiations, which commenced on May 29th, 2023. Alongside its alliance partners, Ocean Bottle will advocate for favorable outcomes that support organizations working to solve the plastics problem.
The alliance’s policy aims include improving access to flexible finance for innovators, promoting the inclusion of existing innovations within regulatory frameworks, leveraging insights from the innovation ecosystem to inform policy, and prioritizing scalable approaches to efficiently tackle plastic pollution.
Among the conveners of the alliance are RePurpose Global and The Ocean Cleanup, two organizations at the forefront of plastic waste management. With the addition of Ocean Bottle, the IAGPT now represents a diverse range of innovation champions from around the world.
Ocean Bottle has been actively combating the plastics crisis by collaborating with various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide to collect ocean plastic. Each Ocean Bottle sold leads to the collection of the equivalent of 1000 ocean-bound plastic bottles. Since its establishment in 2018, Ocean Bottle has successfully collected over 9 million kilograms of plastic from our oceans.
Will Pearson, Co-Founder of Ocean Bottle, expressed the significance of the Global Plastics Treaty, stating, “The Treaty has the potential to be the turning point which allows us to end our dependency on plastic, but this is far from guaranteed. For the Treaty to truly succeed, it requires strong, legally binding commitments to reduce plastic waste and provide support for purpose-led organizations like ours. Ocean Bottle will be in Paris alongside our IAGPT partners to make sure this is the case.”
As the negotiations for the Global Plastics Treaty continue, the involvement of Ocean Bottle and the IAGPT alliance brings hope for innovative and circular solutions to tackle plastic pollution on a global scale. With the combined efforts of these organizations, the future looks promising for a world with reduced plastic waste and a healthier environment.
