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WPP (Wire and Plastic Products as was) joins global battle against plastic

It’s Cannes week of course and we can expect a number of announcements from agencies and others, many designed to show what good citizens they are.

WPP has signed up for the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, led jointly by UN Environment and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, aimed at creating a “circular economy” for plastic where it never becomes waste or pollution. Other signatories include Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Johnson & Johnson, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, SC Johnson, The Coca-Cola Company and Unilever.

WPP is phasing out all single-use plastics across its empire.

WPP, the old Wire and Plastic Products of course, also says it’s committed to work with partners and clients to inspire consumers to think differently about plastic packaging and change their behaviour; create more sustainable approaches to product and packaging design; and develop new systems for delivering and recycling products. Facebook is among the first partners to collaborate; the two companies are exploring ways to work together to harness their collective global reach to drive action among consumers.

WPP CEO Mark Read says: “Our industry has tremendous collective power to bring about change for the better, but our efforts have to begin at home. Taking the plastic out of Wire & Plastic Products by phasing out single-use plastics in our offices is just the first step. People expect companies to act responsibly and help them live more sustainably, and our clients look to us to help them deliver brands with purpose.

“We look forward to working with partners across the industry and using our creativity, insight and scale to make a difference.”

Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, says: “Plastic is a miracle material born from man’s creativity. But our misuse of plastic has now created an environmental disaster that our children will inherit if we don’t turn off the plastic tap fast. To have the full creative force of WPP focused on driving change at many levels will accelerate the pace globally. Bad design got us into this mess and good design will get us out of it.”

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