WWF and Jokey: Working together for a circular economy in plastics
Reuse instead of waste, recycling instead of incineration: the Jokey Group and WWF Germany want to work together to promote a functioning circular economy for plastic packaging in the future.
One goal of the collaboration is to achieve closed plastic material cycles that enable reuse and produce high-quality recyclates. The Jokey Group is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of plastic packaging. With WWF as a partner, the family-owned company will further minimise its ecological footprint, integrate sustainability into all areas of the company and develop effective approaches along the value chain.
“Our thinking and actions at Jokey have been geared towards sustainability for decades,” emphasises Jens Stadter, CEO of the Jokey Group. “But we must and want to constantly evolve. In view of the dramatic consequences of climate change, we will focus our commitment, within the scope of our possibilities, on a transformation that is aligned with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Our action plan also focuses on the use of our material resources. By 2025, we want to source 30 per cent of our raw materials from non-virgin and circular sources and consistently push ahead with the goal of a fully circular economy. We want to be pioneers in our industry and keep high-quality plastics in the cycle. Jokey’s Eco Concept represents a holistic approach to sustainability that we are consistently implementing throughout the Jokey Group.”
Dr Martin Bethke, Director of Markets & Enterprises at WWF Germany, says: “We are still far from circularity in plastic packaging. Around half of all plastic packaging in Germany is incinerated instead of recycled. We are therefore all the more pleased that Jokey, as a strong partner, wants to work with us to drive the transition from a linear packaging industry to a functioning circular economy. One thing is clear: we must finally take action to transform the economy in an ecological way. This is only possible with companies that put sustainable business at the centre of their activities. The packaging turnaround is also necessary to meet the Paris climate targets. This has been recently shown by our packaging study.”
WWF is supporting the Jokey Group in integrating sustainability into all areas of the company in line with the Jokey vision and mission. In addition, the family-owned company will work with the WWF to set a 1.5-degree climate target in line with the Science-Based Target Initiative (SBTi), thus pursuing a science-based path to ambitiously reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris climate targets. In line with this, the consistent focus on maximum energy and resource efficiency throughout the company will be actively pursued. Supply chains and value-added processes will be scrutinised even more closely and the greatest possible transparency will be established with regard to ingredients and social and ecological impacts.
The Jokey Group is thus consistently pursuing its path: the company is building on its comprehensive “Eco Concept” as a sustainability strategy and has been pursuing the “Grey is the new Green” campaign for years in order to anchor recyclates more firmly in the market. In order to achieve more circularity for plastics, the packaging manufacturer wants to design and implement lighthouse projects with the WWF, for example in the areas of ‘closed loop’ for high-quality, food-grade recyclate or innovative reusable models. The partnership with WWF will initially run until 2025.
About WWF
The World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) is one of the largest and most respected independent conservation organisations in the world. On six continents in more than 100 countries, WWF works to stop the worldwide destruction of the environment and preserve biodiversity. More than 6,000 employees are currently working on 1,300 projects to protect our natural resources. The WWF’s goal is to stop global environmental degradation and to shape a future in which people and nature live in harmony. For several years, the WWF has also been working increasingly on plastics and packaging and how a shift towards less and better packaging can be achieved.
