World Wildlife Fund Sustainability Works

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to solve the plastic pollution crisis.

There is overwhelming support around the world to reduce plastic pollution, even among major plastic-production countries. In fact, recent polling shows that 85% of people globally would be in favor of a ban on single-use plastic. Leaders in the business community see a future without plastic pollution and are actively pursuing measures to develop alternatives to petroleum-based plastic. But to sustain these efforts, we need policymakers to develop regulations that ensure a level playing field and deliver greater transparency to minimize supply chain risks.

That’s where the Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution comes in. The fourth negotiating session, or INC-4, begins April 23^rd, and is our last best chance to focus on achieving a successful treaty outcome.

We recently sat down with Erin Simon, WWF’s Vice President and Head of Plastic Waste + Business, to discuss what’s at stake with INC-4, how a global plastics treaty would impact Americans, and what we can all do to support the adoption of a strong, legally-binding agreement.

One of America’s most important and endangered rivers, the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo is home to more mammal species than Yellowstone National Park, more reptile species than the Sonoran Desert, more bird species than the Florida Everglades, and nearly 50% of all fish species found nowhere else in the world. This ecological treasure is teeming with biodiversity, but it is threatened by water scarcity – and without intervention, it may not be able to continue to support the millions of people and wildlife that rely on it.

That is why WWF is partnering with Finish to help protect and replenish the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo. Through this partnership, Finish is supporting WWF’s conservation work to help replenish the river alongside local organizations. Finish is also building awareness about the importance of water conservation by encouraging consumers to adopt simple, water-friendly habits in their homes, such as skipping the rinse when loading the dishwasher.

The EPA this past week announced $20 billion in long-anticipated awards under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The GGRF is largest direct investment vehicle under the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which is the foundation of the Biden Administrations clean energy agenda. The GGRF is aimed at supplying much needed capital to transform local neighborhoods and provide support for community financing for the energy transition. What makes this moment so unprecedented is that 70% of the funds are being directed toward vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. This will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions for underserved communities which have often bore the brunt of carbon and environmental pollution. The GGRF marks a pivotal moment by scaling up the dollars available to these communities to invest in reducing energy costs, improving public health and creating good-paying clean energy jobs.

Hundreds of billions of pieces of single-use foodservice packaging are used in just the US every year. It’s well-understood that reusable packaging is more sustainable from an environmental, climate, and public health perspective, but introducing reusable packaging can be challenging. DeliverZero changes that.

DeliverZero is a full-service reusable packaging solution that simplifies reuse for businesses of all sizes. Through integrations with major delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber and POS systems like Toast, DeliverZero makes it easy for customers to receive and return reusable packaging. While DeliverZero is best known for this work in the foodservice industry, our system is also used in other use cases, such as grocery, meal kit deliveries, and ecommerce, as well as closed-loop environments such as corporate catering.

For our Rising Stars series, we're featuring the next generation of leaders who are working toward a more sustainable world. We recently spoke with Lauren Sweeney, Co-Founder and CEO of Deliver Zero, to learn about her role, her inspiration, and advice for those new to the field.

When we scrape the remains of our dinner plates into the garbage or toss out food that has gone bad in our refrigerators we often think about the social or financial impact of that wasted food. But there is an important environmental connection to food loss and waste that we need to consider as well. When we waste food, the energy used to produce and transport that food also gets wasted. So, if we stop food waste, we can help combat climate change in a big way. In fact, reducing food waste can help reduce about 6-8% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

With the threat of climate change, plastic pollution, food waste, the loss of wildlife and critical ecosystems and more, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the issues our planet faces. As individuals, we want to make a difference, but often the question is: where to begin?

In honor of Earth Day, we would like to equip you with resources to make it easier for you to show love for the planet on April 22 and beyond. These tips are also perfect for sharing with others at work or in your community.

Among popular dance-off videos, viral memes, and virtual shopping carts, lies a complex web of illegal activity to buy, sell, and smuggle protected wildlife globally. Online platforms are now the dominant market for the trafficking of live wildlife for exotic pets and wildlife products, the second most significant threat to endangered species after habitat loss. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was involved in two key events leading up to World Wildlife Day that highlighted the threats and solutions that can expose and deter organized crime networks trafficking wildlife online.

The U.S. generates more plastic waste than anywhere else in the world, affecting American rivers, coastlines, landscapes, and communities. This crisis is apparent everywhere, from our cities to the countryside. While we don’t yet know the full impact of plastic pollution on human health, research increasingly shows that there is real cause for concern.

But do Americans recognize the severity of the plastic pollution crisis? What actions will they take or support to help fix it? To find out, WWF conducted a survey of more than 1000 Americans, representative of the U.S. general population.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• The majority of Americans (85%) think that plastic waste pollution is a serious and concerning problem that requires immediate political action to solve.
• Most Americans would support legislative action that enforces corporate accountability on plastic pollution
  • A majority of people would be in favor of laws that: incentivize companies to reduce plastic waste (87%); make companies responsible for the plastic waste they create (84%); penalize companies for creating waste (78%).
• Over two-thirds of Americans support either banning (71%) or placing a fee (70%) on single-use plastics.
• When asked “would you be more likely to undertake any of the following actions if there was more assurance it was beneficial to the environment” respondents said:
  • 94% said they were “somewhat to much more likely” to recycle plastics
  • 91% said they were “somewhat to much more likely” to limit how much single-use plastic they use
  • 92% said they were “somewhat to much more likely” to choose products that are made from recycled plastics
  • 91% said they were “somewhat to much more likely” to make use of reusable and/or refillable products in place of single-use plastic items

You can explore more survey results below:

Every year in March, we celebrate World Water Day to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle the water crisis. In this interview, WWF's Deputy Director of Freshwater Michele Thieme discusses the new “High Cost of Cheap Water” report and its impact for business.