Continente has just joined the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, a project led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, which aims to promote a circular economy model for plastics and the setting of common targets for dealing with plastic waste and the pollution it causes.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Global Commitment is based on a circular economy vision for plastics, grounded in principles such as eliminating all problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging through ecodesign solutions, innovation, and new delivery models; implementing reuse models to reduce the need for single-use packaging; converting all plastic packaging into 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging; minimizing the use of resource-intensive plastics; and ensuring that all plastic packaging is free of hazardous chemicals and that the health, safety, and rights of all stakeholders are respected.
By signing this commitment, Continente joins the governments of France, the United Kingdom and Chile, the Ministries of the Environment of New Zealand and Portugal, organizations such as the World Economic Forum, the European Investment Bank and The Consumer Goods Forum, non-governmental organizations, universities, industry associations, investors and a group of companies that, together, represent 20% of all plastic packaging produced globally.
The announcement of the signing of this international commitment by the Continent takes place in 
Following the release of the first report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which details how brands, governments, and other organizations have established ways to tackle plastic pollution side-by-side for the first time, Sander Defruyt, head of the New Plastics Economy project, explains that “The goals and action plans presented in this report represent significant progress compared to the pace of change in recent decades. However, they are still far from truly matching the scale of the problem, particularly with regard to eliminating unnecessary items and innovating around reuse models. Ambition levels must continue to rise in order to take real steps in combating global plastic pollution by 2025, and moving from commitment to action is crucial. Large investments, innovations, and transformation programs need to be initiated now so that we can measure their impact by 2025.".
The various initiatives developed by Continente aim to promote the responsible use of plastic, both in terms of its own brand, logistics, suppliers, and also in terms of raising consumer awareness, and are in line with a broad set of sustainable development goals proposed by the United Nations, as well as with European and national commitments towards a circular economy.
