> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://packaging-europe.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Is this the end of the US Plastics Pact? - URL: https://packaging-europe.ghost.io/is-this-the-end-of-the-us-plastics-pact/ - Published: 2025-06-09T07:46:00.000Z - Updated: 2025-06-17T06:53:26.000Z - Author: Tim Sykes - Tags: Collaboration, Comment, Sustainability, Headline News, #layout-s, #type-article, #packaging-europe, #Import 2026-09-08 15:50 ***This content was originally sent to Packaging Europe members in The Bulletin – a weekly newsletter that includes articles like this, as well as lots more original content. To receive a brand-new edition of The Bulletin every week, plus an exclusive range of reports, briefings and events,*** [***click here***](https://account.packagingeurope.com/subscribe?sourcecode=two-yrs&ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) ***to become a member.*** --- I’m sure we’ve all seen the news by now: [Mondelēz](https://www.mondelezinternational.com/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io), [Mars](https://www.mars.com/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io), [Nestlé](https://www.nestle.com/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io), [L’Oréal USA](https://www.loreal.com/en/usa/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io), and [Walmart](https://www.walmart.com/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) are among the big brands suspected of leaving the [U.S. Plastics Pact](https://usplasticspact.org/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io). Perhaps this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. The [Ellen MacArthur Foundation](https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) spent years cautioning that many of its New Plastics Economy Global Commitment signatories were likely to miss the mark for 2025, and as fate would have it, both the aforementioned brands and the Pact itself have fallen short of this year’s deadlines. There’s a multifaceted conversation to be had about whether targets were set too high in the first place, and who is responsible for that. For every critic who considers such overambition a form of premeditated corporate greenwashing, a brand has [attributed](https://packagingeurope.com/news/why-do-big-brands-keep-missing-their-sustainability-targets/12774.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) its failure to insufficient resources, inconsistent legislation, or misguided optimism that the relevant infrastructure would progress faster than it ultimately has. Whichever way you look at it, Jessie Schwarz from [Strategic Packaging Partners](https://www.stratpackpartners.com/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) raises a thought-provoking [point](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessie-schwartz-62094416%5Fwalmart-mondel%C4%93z-marsnestl%C3%A9-leave-the-activity-7331771615531192320-Xy9t/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io): should companies make further commitments when their efforts so far have proven unsuccessful? Would that signal enduring, authentic commitment, or a further attempt to save face and capitalize? Walmart faces another, specific pressure: a shareholder proposal from a conservative nonprofit that describes net-zero carbon emissions as a “unicorn fantasy” and zero-waste initiatives as a left-wing effort to “hoodwink Corporate America”. Strong opinions like these, and the financial incentive to enforce them, will undoubtedly (and unfortunately) become ever more prevalent in a presidency with a burning vendetta against [paper straws](https://packagingeurope.com/news/trump-wages-war-on-paper-straws-by-rescinding-federal-plastics-phase-out/12469.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io). A noteworthy counterpoint is that withdrawing from this particular pact does not rule out involvement in sustainable packaging initiatives elsewhere. Mondelēz is a co-chair of [The Consumer Goods Forum](https://www.theconsumergoodsforum.com/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io)’s Plastic Waste Coalition of Action and remains a member of the [Ocean Plastics Leadership Network](https://opln.org/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io). Nestlé has involved itself in the [Sustainable Packaging Coalition](https://sustainablepackaging.org/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io), the [Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty](https://www.businessforplasticstreaty.org/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io), and the [How2Recycle](https://how2recycle.info/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) Label Program, among other initiatives. L’Oréal is a co-founder of the Sustainable Packaging Initiative for CosmEtics ([SPICE](https://open-spice.com/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io)), while in Europe, Mars, Mondelēz, and Nestlé are among the founders of the [Flexible Packaging Initiative,](https://flexiblepackaginginitiative.eu/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) and all four are active stakeholders within [CEFLEX](https://ceflex.eu/?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io). Let’s also remember the ongoing, cross-industry collaborations to rethink packaging design, from circulating [reusable chocolate tins](https://packagingeurope.com/news/french-deposit-scheme-packages-nestle-chocolates-in-reusable-steel-tins/11975.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) to [sourcing biorecycled rPET](https://packagingeurope.com/news/carbios-signs-biorecycled-pet-contracts-with-loreal-and-loccitane-en-provence/12877.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io). So much of this discussion still relies on speculation, but it’s an important opportunity to keep household names accountable – and, as more and more admit to unmet sustainability targets, to take stock of where we are, and how to move forward. **If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:** [***The ultimate guide to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation in 2025***](https://packagingeurope.com/features/the-ultimate-guide-to-the-packaging-and-packaging-waste-regulation-in-2025/12522.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) [***How are the top brands progressing on packaging sustainability?***](https://packagingeurope.com/features/report-how-are-the-top-brands-progressing-on-packaging-sustainability-in-2025/12614.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) [***Everything you need to know about global packaging sustainability regulation in 2025***](https://packagingeurope.com/features/report-the-ultimate-guide-to-global-packaging-sustainability-regulation-in-2025/12733.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) [***The key to increasing the use of reusable packaging in supermarkets***](https://packagingeurope.com/features/the-key-to-increasing-the-use-of-reusable-packaging-in-supermarkets/12700.article?ref=packaging-europe.ghost.io) Is this the end of the US Plastics Pact?