Engel signs plastics economy global commitment

Austria-based injection molding machine maker Engel Group has become one of the first machinery suppliers to sign onto the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which is designed to create a circular economy.

More than 350 other companies, universities, and organizations have already signed the New Plastics Economy agreement, which aims to transfer plastics into closed material cycles.

The initiative was founded in 2018, and has set a goal of avoiding unnecessary packaging and ensuring that by 2025, all plastic packaging will be reused, recycled or composted. Each member company is asked to set individual goals and report regularly on its progress to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

“As a member of the international plastics industry, we are not only responsible for our own products, but also for the products that are produced on our machines,” Dr Stefan Engleder, CEO of the Engel Group, said in a statement. “It is important to us to utilize our experience and knowledge to ensure that people in all regions of the world will handle plastics responsibly and that the conditions are created for plastic products to be returned to the material cycle at the end of their useful life. As an individual company, our influence is limited. This is precisely why we are involved in the New Plastics Economy Initiative. It networks the global players and makes our common concern more heard.”

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a charity registered in the UK. Founded in 2010 by British sailor Ellen MacArthur, it works in education, business innovation and analysis to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable, resource-saving economy.