Nestlé to join Project STOP as new strategic partner addressing the challenge of marine litter

Borealis and SYSTEMIQ, together with their partners from the Government of Norway, NOVA Chemicals, Borouge and Veolia, are pleased to welcome Nestlé as new strategic partner of Project STOP (Stop Ocean Plastics), a frontline initiative to prevent ocean plastic leakage in South-East Asia. Nestle is the first food company to join the initiative. 

Plastics have been a valuable contribution to the sustainable progress of communities such as protecting and extend the shelf life of food and reducing food wastage, and dramatically reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation of goods and people. As an industry leader, Borealis is committed to enhancing the plastics circular economy to ensure that the societal and environmental benefits of plastics are maintained while no plastic products find their way into the environment.

“It’s extremely concerning that the lack of sustainable waste management systems and practices have contributed to the escalation of the problem of marine litter,” explains Borealis CEO Alfred Stern. “We are excited to welcome Nestle as a new strategic partner of Project STOP, and we look forward to new partners and alliances on our journey to scale up this initiative.”

“Plastic waste is an increasing threat to ocean ecosystems and communities, and it is a symptom of a linear---rather than a circular---model of consumption. STOP is designed to change this and prove that end-of-use plastic (packaging) can be collected and returned into valuable resources while providing livelihoods to many," comments Martin R. Stuchtey, Founder and Managing Partner of SYSTEMIQ. “The momentum and early impact of Project STOP show that we are on the right track. We hope this effort, with the continued engagement of our partners, will further expand at speed and scale to make Indonesia a model for what can be achieved across Asia and the world.”

“We are very pleased to be the first food and beverage company to join Project STOP. For us, this is an important pilot, which is part of our broader vision to achieve a waste-free future, aligned with our commitment to make 100% of our packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025”, says Magdi Batato, Global Head of Operations, Nestlé. “Over the coming months, we will take the learnings from this project to other countries where we operate in an effort to deliver ‘plastic neutrality’ in those markets.”

About Project STOP

Project STOP was established in 2017 by Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, and SYSTEMIQ, an advisory and investment firm that aims to tackle system failures in land use, energy and materials such as plastics. The project aims to eliminate the leakage of plastics into the environment, by developing partnerships with city governments to create effective circular systems.

It is estimated that as much as 150 million metric tons of plastics are circulating in our oceans and another 8 million metric tons of plastics leak into the ocean every year. An estimated 80% of marine debris comes from land-based sources, with 50% originating from just five Asian economies: China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. As economic growth has increased in these countries, so has plastic consumption, which has outpaced the development of effective solid waste management systems. 

Current estimates show that just 45-50% of Indonesia’s urban solid waste is collected, with significant variation in performance among cities, with the rest burnt or dumped into the environment. As a result, this leakage and poor waste management have contributed to reduced fishing productivity and tourism, and a negative impact on community health.

In response, the Indonesian government announced an ambitious commitment to reduce Indonesia's ocean plastic levels by 70% by 2025, creating a Marine Debris Action Plan. Delivery of its commitment relies on a rapid acceleration of waste management systems at the city level, combined with system-level policy, innovation and circular material design approaches. Project STOP contributes to the fulfilment of this commitment.

Muncar, a major fishing port in East Java without an effective waste management system in place and overwhelmed with plastic litter in its harbour, beaches and rivers, was chosen as the first location of Project STOP city partnership. According to a socio-economic household survey on waste habits conducted by Sustainable Waste Indonesia (SWI), 90% of Muncar’s households do not have formal waste collection services. As a result, approximately 45% of Muncar residents dump their waste into rivers, while 20% burn it, and the remainder is dumped on land or buried. Given the high industry interest to support Project STOP, its expansion can now start earlier than originally planned. 

At the 2018 Our Ocean conference in Bali, Indonesia, Borealis and SYSTEMIQ, along with its partners, committed to initiating at least two additional city partnerships in the country and raising USD$10-15 million for technical assistance, community engagement, improved infrastructure, and other packaging recovery solutions. 

This commitment builds upon the progress of the first Project STOP city partnership in Muncar, in East Java, Indonesia. It will prevent more than 10,000 tonnes of plastic from leaking to the ocean over the next five years, grow local employment and provide replicable solutions and innovations for other cities. 

Project STOP Partners:

Co-founders:

• Borealis
• SYSTEMIQ

Strategic partners:

• Borealis
• Nestlé
• Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• NOVA Chemicals 
• SYSTEMIQ

Supporting & technical partners:

• Borouge
• Sustainable Waste Indonesia (SWI) 
• Veolia 

Government partners:

• Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry
• Banyuwangi Regency
• the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs, BAPPPENAS
• Ministry of Public Works

Join the conversation:
info@stopoceanplastics.com | @EndOceanPlastic | #EndOceanPlastic  #ProjectStop

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For further information please contact:

Borealis:
Virginia Mesicek External Communications Manager
tel.: +43 1 22 400 772 (Vienna, Austria)
e-mail: virginia.mesicek@borealisgroup.com

SYSTEMIQ:
Clare Oh Media & Content Lead
tel: +44 7774 1738095 (London, UK)
e-mail: clare.oh@systemiq.earth