The EA team recognizes there is no single solution to plastic pollution and is committed to identifying and providing the data, ideas, insights, services, solutions and opportunities required for all stakeholders in the world of plastics to protect human health and global ecosystems from the ill-effects of plastic pollution.
The EA team has led efforts to research, measure, model and design methodologies to understand and address plastic pollution.
A set of science-based services has been built upon this experience providing companies with clear assessments and actionable plans to mitigate the impact of plastic used in their products and services.
EA also serves more broadly as a partner and advisor to global NGOs and government leaders working to eliminate the dramatic impact of plastic waste on the environment and by extension, human well-being.
EA’s plastic footprinting services unite proprietary assessment methodologies with practical strategies to help companies measure and improve their plastic impact on the environment. Customized to each company’s use of plastic, a plastic footprint project might include:
Finding the balance between environmental conscious design and value retention is a significant challenge for companies of all sizes.
As with all EA services, a research-driven approach is employed in plastics-focused eco-design projects that incorporates waste reduction, end-of-life considerations, energy efficiency, material selection, and sustainable alternatives. By integrating ecodesign principles, organizations are guided in optimizing their products and processes to minimize environmental harm and promote circular economy practices.
EA regularly advises and collaborates with leading global NGOs, media outlets, and regulatory bodies to share research findings and develop and disseminate details about effective methodologies, strategies, and policies for addressing plastic pollution at a broader level.
Services & solutions
EA launched PLASTEAX in 2021 after recognizing that there was a significant gap in data about plastic pollution.
The expansive PLASTEAX database provides global metrics and actionable information about the reality of plastics once they reach the end of their life. Users can access data at polymer and application levels, standardized for all countries in the world.
With over 20’000 datapoints already loaded and updates every month, PLASTEAX is regularly accessed by private, public and civil society organizations for reliable and actionable metrics on plastic pollution worldwide.
To encourage wide usage, a significant amount of PLASTEAX data is open source and available to all, with the full dataset available by subscription.
Plastic Overshoot Day is the date when the amount of plastic waste outweighs the world’s ability to manage it, with environmental pollution occurring as a result. In 2023 the world will reach Plastic Overshoot Day on July 28th. EA’s Plastic Overshoot Day initiative was launched in 2023 to support UN Plastics Treaty negotiators and other global actors working to address the plastic pollution crisis.
To establish global and local state of the plastic pollution crisis, EA analysts assessed 1000s of metrics and created new metrics to shed a new light on this crisis. This initiative calls upon engaged professionals and concerned individuals to contribute towards reversing the crisis of plastic pollution.
Initiatives & Actions
Unifying the methodologies and perspectives of leading scientists, experts, and global practitioners, the Plastic Footprint Network (PFN) enables organizations to understand the full impact, or footprint, from the use of plastic in their products and across their operations.
PFN was founded with the support and involvement of environmental consultancies, plastic credit providers, plastic standard setters, NGOs, business coalitions and brand owners. Members contribute to and benefit from a single, unified venue to source their secondary data and metrics about plastic pollution and are supported in their efforts to measure and mitigate plastic pollution through a clear and regularly updated methodology along with direct support from experts, consultancies and other network partners.
Explore the published research and what EA experts have shared about the plastic pollution issue and the many options and opportunities to change the course of this crisis.
As we close the 2025 cycle of the Plastic Footprint Network (PFN), we mark an important milestone in the evolution of the methodology.
Over the past year, PFN has continued to grow into a more complete, robust, and actionable framework. One that not only enables organizations to measure plastic leakage, but increasingly supports them in understanding impacts and identifying priorities for action.
This report is the first global synthesis to systematically quantify the release of micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) from food packaging directly into food.
Author: Charlotte Stalder The Plastic Footprint Network (PFN), convened by Earth Action, brings together companies, researchers, and practitioners to develop a science-based
EA – Earth Action
Lausanne, Switzerland
Ch. des vignes d’argent 7
1004 Lausanne Suisse
Subscribe to receive the latest research, insights and news from EA
For additional information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review the EA Privacy Policy.
