Closed Loop Recycling—Delivering on the Promise with Sustainable Packaging

Plastics recycling regulation is coming, but is it coming fast enough?

According to the 2024 report on plastic pollution produced by the World Bank, around 350 million tons of plastic are produced annually. About 70% of this plastic ends up in landfills or incinerated, 10% is recycled, and the remaining 20% escapes into the environment.

In this episode of Art of the Possible, Closed Loop Recycling-Delivering on the Promise with Sustainable Packaging, host Judy Moon and Richard Akkermans, Mondelēz International Packaging Sustainability Manager, discuss the challenges but, more importantly, the solutions to achieving closed-loop recycling. They talk about how regulation plays a key role by creating a baseline demand for recycled content, which voluntary action alone cannot sustain in the long term.

Akkermans affirms the need for verifiable and tested technologies, like Digimarc digital watermarking, to make plastic circularity a reality. Most exciting, they share insight into the launch of this solution in Belgium, including how brands and retailers can participate in this first-of-its-kind revolutionary opportunity to effect change.

We invite you to listen to the Art of the Possible to learn more. You'll find the Art of the Possible podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or your preferred podcast platform.