Plastics and the environment are on a collision course: from rising greenhouse gas emissions to plastic ocean waste, the proof is piling up daily. It is increasingly clear that incremental steps are not enough to tackle this major global challenge: to truly turn the tide, game-changing innovations and policies are needed.

The Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC) was founded based on the shared conviction that companies have a social responsibility to offer solutions to the major sustainability issues of our time. As such, they are committed to supporting and accelerating the transition to a circular economy (CE) for plastics. The potential benefits of a transition are important! A CE will dramatically reduce the amount of plastic in the environment. Energy and water consumption will also decrease significantly, as will CO₂ emissions.

Various existing technologies could be used to create innovative applications to retain the value of plastics as a secondary raw material. Research shows that cooperation between governments, knowledge institutions, societal organisations and the business sector is crucial to close the loop.

In the publication Transition time! A circular economy for plastics the members of DSGC describe innovative cases illustrating how they joined forces with stakeholders to actually help closing the loop. This knowledge and experience can be a source of inspiration for other companies to also invest in a circular economy. To grow initiatives into impactful sustainable solutions, both harmonised policies and effective legal frameworks are of great importance, for which the DSGC shares specific recommendations.