Industry plastic-waste initiative advances

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, an industry group that includes some of the world’s largest plastic producers, says it has made a good start in its first 18 months as it tries to tackle plastic pollution. With a budget of $1.5 billion, the alliance has initiated projects across 14 cities in Southeast Asia, India, and Africa that have a problem with plastic pollution. Alliance members, which include BASF, Dow, and Formosa Plastics, have invested a further $400 million in 55 company-led projects aimed at preventing plastic waste. The actions represent the start of a long road ahead, according to the alliance. “But we can shorten the road significantly when we act together across industry, governments, civil society and development agencies,” CEO Jacob Duer says in a press release. The alliance has set goals for 2025 that include recycling at least 2 million metric tons (t) of plastic in more