Volkswagen Group’s Post

Thank you Global Investors & Circulate Capital for travelling so many miles to support plastic collection centres done properly. Dignified high quality collection is key for responsible sourcing and is what the industry needs. 💪 Supporting Prevented Ocean Plastic™ with your investments and your presence at our latest grand opening means so much for our 25 by 2025 mission. Building 25 high capacity plastic collection centres in 25 underserved coastal regions that need them by 2025, capturing up to 60,000 tonnes per year of otherwise uncollected plastic before it reaches our oceans and rivers. The below collection centre has created 21 direct jobs, supporting hundreds of informal collectors, and will prevent over 100 tonnes per months from going into the ocean. Our last grand opening in July supported by USAID created 45 direct jobs, and collects over 500 tonnes per month of plastic. Thank you global investors for attending, hearing our progress at the Circulate Capital AGM, and for your financial support. So many coastal regions need better infrastructure, better jobs, and to have a cleaner environment. We hope to see the Prevented Ocean Plastic™ collection model grow from 25 to 100 to 1000 as a proven impact investment 👍💪👍 We can do it with your help. 😊 #chooserecycled https://lnkd.in/eTEARHJG PepsiCo Procter & Gamble Dow Danone CHANEL Mondelēz International Unilever The Coca-Cola Company Chevron Phillips Chemical Company IFC - International Finance Corporation Minderoo Foundation Huang Chen Foundation Eden Impact Builders Vision Jebsen & Jessen Group Forster Communications Chris Thompson Melisa Kumas Olivia Martins Beth Gaudin Lily Henbrey Romilly Stone Mark Middlemas The Athlete Media Group Issa B. Martin Perry Sarah Jackson Bethany Gill UK Beach Tour

JOIN US IN OUR NEW SUSTAINABLE CAMPAIGN WITH SEVEN CLEAN SEAS In collaboration with The Warehouse Café - Hult International Business School we are raising funds for... Seven Clean Seas is an Ocean Impact organization committed to removing 10,000,000 kg of plastic from our oceans by 2025. They've already made incredible progress, removing 3,055,753 kilos of plastic, equivalent to 6,736,782 lbs, and creating 89 formal jobs in the process. They have projects in locations like Batam, Indonesia, where supporters can see the exact impact their organization has funded. Seven Clean Seas values the companies that support its missions. For this reason, it prioritizes transparency and accountability in its efforts to remove plastic from the environment. They have introduced a new impact platform called Periscope that provides unparalleled transparency into their operations. With Periscope, Seven Clean Seas can deliver visibility into exactly where supporters' money goes, which teams it supports, and what is collected on each clean-up day. This allows companies to track the progress of their contributions and share comprehensive insights with customers, partners, and investors. All of Seven Clean Seas' projects are also 3rd party certified to demonstrate compliance and transparency from project to claim. This ensures the accuracy and credibility of their plastic removal efforts. 🐟 Support Seven Clean Seas and be part of the solution to ocean plastic pollution: https://lnkd.in/eugt66Um Learn more about their impactful initiatives: https://lnkd.in/gyF2tuz

In global sustainability news, The Recycling Partnership, a non-profit organisation in the USA, has launched a new packaging label feature called 'Recycle Check'. This tool allows consumers to scan a QR code on items to access information on what packaging can be recycled in their area, based on their location 💡 The feature is aimed at empowering consumers to make informed decisions and contribute to a sustainable #WasteManagement system ♻️ We are inspired by this innovation and hope to see similar developments in #SouthAfrica, as such a feature could provide more in-depth information than the current on-pack recycling label system – LEARN MORE about this story by clicking on the image below⤵️ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://lnkd.in/dyFx9C6G #CollectSortRecycle #Recycle #CircularEconomy #Sustainability 📸: The Recycling Partnership

The last 5 years have been transformative in my understanding of the plastic industry. Our non profit organization ChangeMakersHub supports fellow charities by promoting their needs and running various programmes to address the gaps to achieve the sustianable development goals. Covid saw me hitting the road, while the streets were deserted of anyone through hard lockdown. Every day that I drove these almost deserted streets, with relief supplies to vulnerable communities, over a period of months…one thing became more and more prevelant; the plastic. I had already started researching into the circular economy as I saw great opportunity to develop new jobs in this very neglected area. Waste management is a huge problem in our beautiful South Africa. All developing countries battle with the correct infrastructure… The deeper I researched, the more devastating facts became very hard to accept. I checked, double checked, cross referenced…the absolute blatant window dressing and propaganda on the subject is heartbreaking. It’s an anomaly that has had me questioning four key elements: 1. Human Behaviour, 2. Consumerism and 3. Corporate responsibility 4. Politics You would think we would be self preserving and evolved enough to see the facts hidden under all the bullshit. And yet, it’s like as humans we just don’t want to see the truth. It’s too inconvenient. I think of how much we could have done since the release of Algor’s “the inconvenient truth” I think; who the hell am I to even believe for one second that I could make a difference in this arena…so many EcoChangeMakers have not got the results they have given their life’s work to… But I WILL try and I will NOT GIVE UP. As small as I am, as simply innovative our programme is and how defyingly big our vision is…We will continue to get to the truth and find ways to take plastic OUT OF THE EQUATION #plasticfree #RoadtoImpact2030

This month is #PlasticFreeJuly, but to really have a plastic-free future, we need new solutions. I'm really excited to see the innovation from companies like Sway, Zerocircle, and Notpla — the three winners of the TOM FORD Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize, led by the non-profit Lonely Whale. 🐳 🌿 For one, the seaweed-based materials from these companies helps avoid issues like the emissions stemming from fossil fuels used to create plastic, as well as plastic waste destroying marine habitats. 🌊 And using nature-based solutions like seaweed has the potential to sequester more carbon and improve ocean health. 💸 There's also economic opportunities, like how fishermen in Maine are farming seaweed amidst climate change making the lobster business more difficult. I had the chance recently to interview Tim Silman, MPP, MBA, program director at Lonely Whale, to discuss the backstory and the potential implications of switching from thin-film plastics to these alternative materials:

Did you know that by 2050 our oceans could contain more plastic than fish (by weight)? Dan Matthies, CFA CAIA, Reaction’s CEO, and Olga Paxson, Ph.D. (Olya), Head of Reaction Think Tank, were interviewed by the Inspire Energy Summit about Reaction’s ambition to improve a billion lives. Here are some highlights: What is the role of financial capital – especially for young companies – in innovation for the benefit of our planet and our future? - Dan Matthies: There are more important factors than financial capital. Many people believe that the most successful entrepreneurs are those who raise the most money. We disagree. I was particularly struck by the TED talk given by American investor and fund manager Bill Gross, founder of Idealab. Of the five factors he mentioned for the long-term success of a startup – timing, team and execution, idea, business model and funding – funding was dead last. No one wants to invest money in a start up with a business plan that does not work out. How do you check whether a collaboration is promising? - Dan Matthies: In our experience, the most effective way is to ask potential partners or customers if they would benefit from the start up's solution or service. Our global partner community is a great help here. After all, climate change is a global problem that affects every industry and every region. Helping founders make connections at this level can have clear benefits. This is one of Reaction’s greatest assets. The role of technology and investment in the success of the energy transition is undisputed. The Think Tank of Reaction is also trying to move things forward. Olga, how do you go about doing that? - Olga Paxson: Our goal at Reaction is to improve the lives of one billion people in a decade by scaling innovations. The think tank currently has three initiatives to achieve this: The "Impact Currency" initiative aims to direct more money to impact investing. In the context of "Green Inflation", we want to create more awareness for climate change and the additional costs if we do not invest money today. And with the “Impact Menu” initiative, we want to ensure that investments are implemented in the most effective way. We will soon be launching a new initiative on plastics. At the moment there is a lot of focus on carbon and how to replace it in the context of climate change mitigation. However, plastic waste is still more in the background. Harm created by plastic, especially microplastics, is comparable to that of greenhouse gas emissions, but fewer people are focusing on true alternatives to plastic. This is the reason for our initiative. But I do not want to reveal more about it yet ... * Reaction’s portfolio companies combatting plastic waste and carbon emissions include Novoloop, Mango Materials, 3Degrees Group, Inc., GALY and Starship Technologies. Dan and Olga's interview is in the first comment to this post. #impactinvesting #plasticwaste #reaction

My recent travels to New Zealand highlighted how we, as individuals can drive change. Though we can’t compare the actions of NZ, a country of 5.3 million to the US, there are practices we can consider. ♻️ It's the small things: reducing plastic bag use, recycling, or reducing food waste. But are we committed to solving the problem and not being the problem? Check out my goals in my recent blog post and join me. https://zurl.co/Ztiu

📢 Join us as we learn about Brunei Darussalam's journey towards sustainability. We will delve into innovative actions by the private sector, as well as government and non-profit initiatives aimed at enhancing plastic circularity in the country.   Save the date: 📆 Date: June 20, 2024 ⏰ Time: 10:00 AM - 12:15 PM (Brunei Time | GMT+8) 🤳 Register at: bit.ly/PSPBrunei2024   Organized in collaboration with GIZ #3RproMar and the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation (JASTRe), Ministry of Development of Brunei Darussalam, this webinar will explore:   ✔ Brunei's innovative business practices led by private companies to reduce plastic waste. ✔ Government support and non-profit initiatives to improve Brunei's plastic waste management. ✔ Way forward to enhance multistakeholder collaboration for plastic circularity in Brunei. ERIA: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia GIZ Indonesia & ASEAN

Coca-Cola European Partners & Swansea University Team Up for a Greener Future! Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is partnering with Swansea University to pioneer a groundbreaking CO2-to-ethylene conversion process. This initiative aims to replace fossil-based feedstocks in plastic production, aligning with Coca-Cola's ambitious sustainability goals. 📊 Key Stats: - 3-year project duration - Goal to end the use of virgin fossil-based plastics by 2030 - Net-zero emissions target by 2040 🎯 Relevant SDGs: SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production - Target 12.5: Reduce waste generation - Indicator 12.5.1: National recycling rate SDG 13: Climate Action - Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into policies - Indicator 13.2.1: Number of countries with NDCs 🇦🇺 Implications for Australia: - How can we incentivize R&D in carbon capture? - What role can public-private partnerships play in a low-carbon economy? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gq6Ng5Aq We'd love to hear your thoughts on how Australian businesses can adopt similar sustainable practices. Could this be a game-changer for the industry? Scott Edwards Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

We’re proud to share our 2023 Sustainability Wrap which showcases the work we’re doing to ensure a better tomorrow for New Zealanders and their loved ones 💚🌿 We focus our work on three pillars - People, Planet and Product - as we strive towards delivering our 2025 Sustainability Plan which includes over 40 commitments. It’s been a busy year and inside our Wrap you’ll see how we’re taking action to identify renewable energy projects, to make shopping easier and healthier, to reduce food waste and hunger, and to work with our amazing growers and producers as they find new and sustainable ways to feed the country. Our 2023 highlights are below, and you can read the full Wrap here: https://lnkd.in/gEydpZCt - Reducing our gender pay gap to 1.4% - Reporting a 47.6% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2015 - Removing 114 tonnes of virgin plastic from our Own Brand milk range by introducing the use of rHDPE - Removing single use plastic produce bags accounting for up to 50 million bags (or 85 tonnes) each year in line with Government requirements - Almost a third of our team (32%) have signed up for Sonder, our online employee care platform - Donating more than $12 million of food and funds to our local communities #sustainability #ourwork Spencer Sonn Catherine Langabeer Matthew Grainger