Greenpeace slams plastic alliance for ‘greenwashing’

Unearthed is the investigative journalism unit of global environmental charity Greenpeace.  

The “Alliance to End Plastic Waste” was launched five years ago by plastics trade association the American Chemistry Council (ACC) as a way to move away from “short-term simplistic bans of plastic”. 

The Alliance claimed in its latest progress report to have reduced “unmanaged plastic waste” by 119,000 tonnes. However, the Unearthed investigation revealed that members Exxon, Shell, ChevronPhillips, Total and Dow have produced 132 million tonnes of two forms of plastic, polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) over the same period.  

In further documents seen by Unearthed, Weber Shandwick, the PR agency responsible for developing the Alliance, wrote that it was commissioned to create a campaign in response to “the intense negativity and demonisation of plastic”.  

The report comes ahead of the final round of negotiations (INC-5) for the UN’s Global Plastics Treaty which aims to create a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040. The negotiations will begin in Busan, South Korea, on 25 November.  

Will McCallum, co-executive director at Greenpeace UK, responded: “This investigation has stripped off the thin layer of greenwash hiding the growing mountain of plastic waste Big Oil is producing. The recycling schemes they’re promoting can barely make a dent in all the plastic these companies are pumping out. They’re letting the running tap flood the house while trying to scoop up the water with a teaspoon. The only solution is to cut the amount of plastic produced in the first place. 

“This month’s Global Plastic Treaty negotiations in Busan can be a turning point in the fight against plastic pollution. Fossil fuel and petrochemical lobbyists will be out in force in Busan doing all they can to push false solutions and derail effective action. Governments must see through the deception and push for a treaty that will actually cut out-of-control plastic production through binding, global rules.”  

Environmental campaigner Bill McKibben told Unearthed: “It’s hard to imagine a clearer example of greenwashing in this world. The oil and gas industry – which is pretty much the same thing as the plastics industry – has been at this for decades.”