Yakima, Wash.-based Kwik Lok has joined the U.S. Plastics Pact.
The U.S. Plastics Pact is a collaboration led by The Recycling Partnership, World Wildlife Fund and Ellen MacArthur Foundation, according to a release. The release said the group is working toward a circular economy for plastics in the U.S. by 2025.
Kwik Lok joins more than 70 brands, retailers, nonprofit organizations and government agencies in the group.
“We have real challenges ahead, and it is up to all of us to find impactful, tangible solutions — that is why we are so excited to join a group of organizations committed to innovating in plastics reduction,” Kwik Lok CEO Don Carrell said in the release. “We take the responsibility of creating new products and new technologies to reduce plastic’s impact on our environment seriously and look forward to working with others to improve the lives of our employees, customers and communities.
As part of the U.S. Plastics Pact, the release said Kwik Lok has agreed to:
- Define a list of packaging to be designated as “problematic” or “unnecessary” by 2021 and take measures to eliminate them by 2025;
- Ensure that plastic packaging is 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025;
- Undertake actions to effectively recycle or compost 50% of plastic packaging by 2025; and .
- Make the average recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging 30% by 2025.
Kwik Lok will establish a plan this year to identify milestones for achieving the targets and realizing a circular economy for plastic.
The company is working to reduce its portfolio-wide energy usage by 20% by 2025, the release said.
Kwik Lok has already saved more than 1 million kWh in energy since completing building renovations and operational upgrades in 2015 and has decreased energy consumption by 12%, the release said.
Kwik Lok also launched three sustainable product innovations, including its Eco-Lok product in 2019, according to the release. Eco-Lok is formulated with a plant-based biopolymer called NuPlastiQ that requires up to 20% fewer greenhouse gas emissions to produce than standard plastic bag closures.
