The Fair Plastic Alliance is launched

The Fair Plastic Alliance (FPA) has been developed to tackle environmental and social challenge connected to the poor handling of the plastic recycling chain.

Members of this alliance include Serioplast, an international company in the sector of plastic packaging production, Oxfam and CESVI, non-profit organisations and WeCyclers, a Nigerian startup capable of implementing an innovative and scalable model to collect waste.

The FPA says it brings together for-profit and non-profit international stakeholders, with a common goal: to develop a fair and inclusive production chain for plastic recycling, which offers men and women who operate in the informal waste collection sector the opportunity of having a fully recognised job and a dignified lifestyle.

The Fair Plastic alliance is open to all those who want to adopt a business development model based on a fair and circular economy: companies, ONGs, cooperatives, associations and representatives of stakeholders in the plastic sector.

The goal is to stimulate a debate that must involve multinational companies that use plastic for packaging, policy makers, local communities and consumers.

Delia Innocenti, Serioplast CEO, said: “The Fair Plastic alliance wants to face the environmental and social issues generated by plastic through an innovative approach, leveraging on the active inclusion of informal pickers. This is possible when adopting a business model that brings workers back to the centre.”

Benetta Gualandi, Programme Manager for Oxfam South Africa, explained: “We are experimenting with an innovative model to stimulate development based on the participation of basic communities, civil society, private sector and national and local government; a strong partnership, where each stakeholder acknowledges their role and puts their expertise and resources at everyone’s disposal.”