VOLVO CARS TO REMOVE SINGLE-USE PLASTICS FROM ALL OFFICES , CANTEENS AND EVENTS
Volvo Cars will remove single-use plastics from all its offices , canteens and events across the globe by the end of 2019 . The decision reflects the company ’ s active support of the UN Environment Clean Seas campaign , and underlines its ambition to minimise its global environmental footprint .
The premium car maker will replace more than 20 million single-use plastic items such as cups , food containers and cutlery with more sustainable alternatives , including biodegradable products made of paper , pulp and wood . This equates to the removal of more than 500 plastic items per employee per year .
The switch will be implemented incrementally . By the end of 2018 , single-use plastics will be removed from global events such as car launches , as well as from all offices and restaurants in Volvo Cars facilities in China , Belgium , the United States , Sweden and Malaysia .
During 2019 , all national sales companies ( NSCs ) will eradicate single-use plastics from their operations , including local events .
“ Action from the private sector is key to making progress in the fight against plastic pollution and in raising awareness . We cannot wait for a binding legislative agreement ,” said Lisa Emelia Svensson , Director of Ocean at UN Environment . “ In the next 10 to 15 years , global plastic production is projected to nearly double , parts of which will end up in oceans if we do not change today . We welcome Volvo Cars saying no to single-use plastics and it ’ s great to see it leading by example .”
Volvo Cars estimates that the 2018 roll-out alone will result in the replacement of more than 140 tonnes of single-use plastic items with plastic-free alternatives .
“ Plastics pollution is one of the great environmental challenges of our time ,” said Stuart Templar , Director for Sustainability at Volvo Cars . “ We take our responsibility seriously . We must play our part in helping tackle this global problem .”
The company ’ s action on single-use plastics follows its EUR 300,000 support for the Volvo Ocean Race ’ s Science Programme . Several of the boats in the 2018-19 edition of the Race are equipped with sensors that are capturing data on marine health from some of the remotest parts of the world ’ s oceans , including levels of micro plastics .
Sales of the V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race specialedition vehicles have contributed to this support . Meanwhile , the car itself contains carpet inlays made from Econyl , a fabric made from 100 per cent recycled nylon , including abandoned fishing nets reclaimed from the seabed .
Volvo Cars is committed to reducing the environmental impact of both its products and operations . In 2017 , the company announced an industry-leading commitment to electrify all new Volvo cars launched after 2019 . Last month , Volvo Cars reinforced this strategy by stating that it aims for fully electric cars to make up 50 per cent of its global sales by 2025 .
In terms of operations , Volvo Cars aims to have climate-neutral manufacturing operations by 2025 . In January this year , the engine plant in Skövde , Sweden , became its first climateneutral facility .
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