Dive Brief:

• A new report issued by the Plastic Disclosure Project could provide insight into the source of plastic waste and could identify companies that use a substantial amount of plastics in consumer products.
• The report, “Valuing Plastic: The Business Case for Measuring, Managing and Disclosing Plastic Use in the Consumer Goods Industry”, sheds light on the inconsistent reporting by plastics companies in their use of plastic. When companies do disclose their numbers, figures are inconsistent at best, making it difficult to collect accurate data.
• The report makes the case that figures need to be transparent in order to navigate through laws that could impact business, competition and consumer demand. 

Dive Insight:

The Plastics Disclosure Project worked with environmental data experts Trucost to produce the study.

“By placing a financial value on materials such as plastic waste, companies can see the savings gained from reuse and recycling, which builds a business case to make sustainability improvements," said Trucost CEO Richard Mattison.