Amcor celebrates progress in circularity through partnership with Ellen MacArthur Foundation
General Announcement
November 18, 2024Zurich, Switzerland, November 18, 2024 – ZURICH, November 18, 2024 – Amcor (NYSE: AMCR, ASX: AMC), a global leader in responsible packaging solutions, recognizes the significant advancements made by Ellen MacArthur Foundation signatories, as detailed in the Foundation's Global Commitment Progress Report published today, compiled with input from the UN Environment Programme in relation to the government signatories.
As a member of Ellen MacArthur’s New Plastic Economy Advisory Board and one of 11 Core Partners, Amcor plays a leading role in shaping the circular economy by designing recycle-ready packaging solutions, reducing reliance on virgin plastics through recycled content and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation report highlights substantial progress among signatories, with business leaders demonstrating industry-wide impacts, including a 9.3 million-ton reduction in virgin plastic use and significant increases in post-consumer recycled (PCR) content since 2018. Amcor leads these initiatives, achieving 9.4% PCR usage in plastics in fiscal year 2024 and expanding its packaging solutions with the AmFiniti™ portfolio, which includes a range of mechanically and advanced recycled materials for food and personal care applications.
Rob Opsomer, executive lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said, “The Global Commitment has demonstrated that at-scale progress is possible in the fight against plastic waste and pollution. Signatories like Amcor have doubled the share of recycled content in their plastic packaging — making as much progress in four years as in the four decades before. Yet the job is far from done. To meet the scale of the challenge, we need both continued ambitious action by leading companies and global regulation to level the playing field.”
Since signing the Global Commitment in 2018, Amcor has developed recycle-ready solutions for 94% of its flexible packaging portfolio by area, up from a 56% baseline. Additionally, 95% of Amcor’s rigid packaging production by weight is recyclable in practice and at scale. Collaborative programs with organizations like Delterra, Licella and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste further focus on scaling critical recycling infrastructure to meet the growing global demand for circular packaging solutions.
As part of Amcor’s commitment to reducing environmental impact, the company has also set ambitious climate goals validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In FY24, Amcor reduced its absolute GHG emissions by 9% compared to FY23, contributing to the collective avoidance of 3.4 million tons of CO₂ per year achieved by Global Commitment signatories.
"Through our leadership in packaging innovation and our active role in initiatives like the Global Commitment, Amcor is driving progress toward a society where responsible consumption and circular actions are the norm,” said David Clark, chief sustainability officer at Amcor. “Our focus on circularity and decarbonization supports our customers in meeting consumer expectations and achieving their sustainability targets.”
To learn more about the progress Amcor and other Ellen MacArthur Foundation members have made, read the Amcor insight article featuring David Clark and Rob Opsomer here.
For more information on Amcor's 2024 sustainability commitments and achievements, visit www.amcor.com/sustainability-report.
About Amcor
Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions across a variety of materials for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect products, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains. The company offers a range of innovative, differentiating flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly recyclable, reusable, lighter weight and made using an increasing amount of recycled content. In fiscal year 2024, 41,000 Amcor people generated $13.6 billion in annual sales from operations that span 212 locations in 40 countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC
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About Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international charity whose mission is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in order to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. Launched in 2010, we work with our Network of private and public sector decision-makers, as well as academia, to build capacity, explore collaborative opportunities, and design and develop circular economy initiatives and solutions. Increasingly based on renewable energy, a circular economy is driven by design to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value, and regenerate nature, to create resilience and prosperity for business, the environment, and people.
Further information: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org | @circulareconomy | The Circular Economy Show Podcast