Planet Tracker forces rethink at the Alliance to End Plastic Waste

In August 2022, PT released ‘Barely Credible’, a report which analysed the work of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). As a direct result of the report, AEPW advised Planet Tracker that its next annual report would include revised targets and more information on the plastic waste it has recovered and that they will more rigorously audit their annual report. Several organisations, including petrochemical giant BASF, have advised Planet Tracker that they contacted the AEPW regarding Barely Credible, arguing that without proper auditing, organisations like themselves face significant reputational risk from those accusing the company of greenwashing. In July 2023, the AEPW published their 2022 Progress Report – following a six-month delay – which contained new metrics whose absence had also been highlighted in Barely Credible.

AEPW also acknowledged one of the main conclusions of the report – that it has insufficiently accounted for virgin plastic production – and is beginning to plan potential upstream solutions to solve this problem.