New report serves as primer for standardized plastic footprint measurement tool

Together with our partners EA and IUCN (the International Union for the Conservation of Nature), we’ve created a first-of-its-kind report, laying the foundation to develop a standardized plastic footprint measurement tool that will empower businesses to tackle plastic leakage across their value chain.

Plastic pollution has become a hot-button issue for businesses across sectors. Companies are going full steam ahead with measures to tackle plastic leakage, yet they lack the tools to ensure that their efforts have a meaningful impact. Launched during World Water Week in Stockholm, “Review of plastic footprint methodologies: Laying the foundation for the development of a standardised plastic footprint measurement tool,” marks an important first step in filling this knowledge gap.

The conclusions in this report will drive the work of the Plastic Leak Project, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched by Quantis earlier this year to develop a best-in-class, standardized plastic hotspot methodology

The report reviews existing methodologies to identify the abundance and distribution, types and sources, as well as pathways and sinks of plastic pollution at different scales. It finds that most existing methodologies focus on assessments of plastic usage, waste or recycling rates. Currently, there is no method for assessing plastic impacts in a comprehensive way that allows stakeholders to measure the trade-offs between different impact categories. Bottom line: companies need to adopt a holistic approach to measuring the impact of plastic pollution, one that assesses the entire value chain and life cycle of plastic products.

The conclusions in this report will drive the work of the Plastic Leak Project, a multi-stakeholder initiative launched earlier this year to develop a best-in-class, standardized plastic hotspot methodology that provides key stakeholders with the data and analysis they need to take informed actions to reduce plastic leakage at the global, regional and national levels.