Earth Action • 27/07/2026
Financial institutions have had a standard way to measure the carbon emissions financed through their portfolios for several years now. Plastic pollution has had no equivalent. An investor could hold shares in a packaging company, a textile manufacturer, or a consumer goods group without any consistent way to know how much mismanaged plastic waste that investment carries, or which of those holdings pose the highest direct health risk.
To close that gap, a new methodology was co-developed by Earth Action, a.s.r. asset management and the Plastic Soup Foundation. It is currently going through review by the Scientific Committee of the Plastic Footprint Network (PFN), the international network that unifies plastic footprint methodologies into a single, science-based framework used by organizations to assess and mitigate the environmental impact of their plastic use. PFN is convened by EA For Impact, the non-profit arm of the Swiss research consultancy Earth Action. The full technical module is not yet public. Here is what it does, in plain terms, ahead of that publication.
Turning a company’s plastic footprint into a portfolio number
The methodology takes plastic footprint data that already exists at the company level, such as how much plastic a company uses, and how much of that is likely to end up as mismanaged waste rather than properly collected and treated, and translates it into a single portfolio-level metric for an investor. It draws on the same attribution and adjustment logic Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) already uses across the investment industry for greenhouse gas accounting.
In practice, an investor’s share of a company’s plastic pollution scales with the size of their financial stake in that company, relative to the company’s total value. A larger position in a company means a larger share of that company’s plastic footprint gets attributed to the portfolio. The methodology also adjusts for company behavior: companies that have set credible plastic reduction targets or demonstrate strong circularity performance carry a lower attributed footprint than otherwise identical companies that haven’t. a.s.r. has piloted the approach on its own portfolio together with EA, testing the calculation routes and data requirements against real holdings rather than a theoretical case.
“With this methodology, we are making a blind spot in the financial sector visible; the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and health often remains underexposed. Investors gain more insight into potential plastic impact and associated risks, which can support them in their investment decisions.”
— Marjolein Meulensteen, Portfolio Manager Responsible Investing, a.s.r. asset management
A second, separate lens: health risk
Plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue. Alongside the pollution metric, the methodology includes a distinct Health Risk Impact Score, assessing sectors on direct human health exposure pathways: whether products in that sector generate microplastics during use, involve inhalation, come into direct contact with food or skin, or contain polymers and additives already flagged as a concern. This gives institutions a second lens for engagement, since a company with moderate plastic waste but high direct consumer exposure raises a different set of questions than one with a large footprint but little consumer contact.
“Plastic pollution is no longer just an environmental problem. It is a financial, systemic, and health risk. Financial institutions hold real leverage here: once that risk can be quantified in a portfolio, it is essential they translate it into concrete action.”
— Maria Westerbos, Founder & Director of the Plastic Soup Foundation
What this could mean, once published
The methodology is currently under review by the Plastic Footprint Network’s Scientific Committee. Here’s what it already points to for different audiences:
- Financial risk officers and ESG analysts get access to a new class of portfolio metric; financed plastic pollution in tonnes and as an intensity figure per euro invested, usable directly for ESG screening, stewardship, and sustainability reporting.
- Sustainability scientists and practitioners get the underlying system map showing how plastic pollution data flows from company activity to a portfolio-level number, and guidance on which calculation route to apply depending on what data is available.
- Data teams get a four-tier data quality framework, so institutions can start with the data they already have and refine it over time rather than waiting for full company-level disclosure before acting.
Across all three audiences, the value is the same: plastic pollution becomes something an institution can see, compare and act on. How each institution chooses to act on it is its own call, and the results are designed to support that decision rather than dictate it.
What’s next
The detailed methodology will be published in the coming months as a module of the Plastic Footprint Network, following PFN’s structured peer-review process. It is also designed to evolve as corporate plastic disclosure standards mature, meaning early adopters now are positioned to help shape how the approach develops across the industry. Asset managers and investors who want to know how much plastic pollution their portfolios finance can already work with EA on a first assessment, using the data available today. Anyone else working on financed environmental impact, ESG data, or investor engagement on plastic pollution is equally welcome to get in touch ahead of publication.
Questions, or want to be notified when the module publishes? Reach out at contact@e-a.earth or visit www.e-a.earth. More on the Plastic Footprint Network’s methodology library: https://www.plasticfootprint.earth/assessment-methodology/
About Earth Action (EA)
Earth Action (EA) is a mission-driven research consultancy advancing evidence-based action on plastic pollution and climate change. EA develops methodologies, data platforms and decision-ready knowledge for policymakers, businesses and civil society. EA is the developer of the Plasteax database and the Packaging Data Hub, and is a member of the Environmental Footprint Centre. Scientific research is conducted under EA For Impact, EA’s Swiss non-profit arm, which also convenes the Plastic Footprint Network. www.e-a.earth
About the Plastic Footprint Network (PFN)
The Plastic Footprint Network (PFN) is the international network developing the reference methodologies for corporate and financial plastic footprint assessment. Convened by EA For Impact, the non-profit arm of Earth Action, PFN brings together a Scientific Committee of leading academic institutions (including CIRAIG, DTU, NTNU, Polytechnique Montréal, Universiteit Leiden, University of Toronto, PUCP, NORSUS, MariLCA, and University of the Basque Country), an Advisory Committee (CDP, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Global Plastic Action Partnership, Pew, WBCSD, WWF), and a growing group of corporate and financial members. PFN modules go through a structured peer-review process before publication. www.plasticfootprint.earth
About a.s.r. asset management
a.s.r. vermogensbeheer is a Dutch asset manager that supports institutional investors in achieving financial returns while taking societal impact into account. The organisation manages investments for pension funds, insurers, governments, healthcare and educational institutions, and charities, among others. Based on a long-term perspective, a.s.r. asset management combines financial returns with responsible investing, taking into account people, the environment and society. The organisation’s roots lie in the management of the assets of insurer a.s.r., a tradition dating back to 1720.
About Plastic Soup Foundation
Plastic Soup Foundation is an independent Dutch non-profit organisation committed to reducing plastic pollution at the source. Through scientific research, public campaigns, policy advocacy and partnerships, the organisation works towards a future without plastic pollution in our environment, food, water and bodies. Since its establishment in 2011, Plastic Soup Foundation has been working worldwide on structural solutions that protect the health of people and the planet.