Release Date: April 1, 2021
Charter Next Generation to Join Circular Great Lakes to Combat Plastic Waste and Pollution
Regional initiative aims to drive systemic change through bold partnerships and investments
Milton, WI. – Charter Next Generation (CNG) announces its partnership with Circular Great Lakes (CGL), a regional initiative focused initially on keeping valuable plastic materials out of the waste stream and the environment. CGL has been created by the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) to create a “future without waste” in this binational economic region. Charter Next Generation is a founding member and funder of the initiative.
“I am truly excited for Charter Next Generation to be a founding member of the Circular Great Lakes. Having practically grown up in these lakes, the connection and cause is a very personal one,” said Scott Hammer, Director of Corporate Sustainability at Charter Next Generation. “Now, as a sustainability professional, the opportunity to clean up these waters and shorelines — as well as reinforce their value to the region by creating a circular economy — is incredible! I have no doubts of the positive impacts the Circular Great Lakes will make, and I look forward to starting this journey.”
Circular Great Lakes will work with partners including the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (Alliance) to develop a circular economy strategy for plastics in the region, setting the stage for targeted actions and partnerships over the next five years. Priorities of the initiative include driving systemic changes necessary to close the loop for plastics in the region, shifting away from a linear, take-make-dispose economy and materials management mindset.
“The Alliance firmly believes that enabling a circular economy will be key to ending plastic waste in the environment. The Circular Great Lakes initiative by the Council of the Great Lakes Region is an important step that aims to accelerate the region’s transition towards a zero plastic waste future. We look forward to collaborating with CGLR to develop the insights and expertise needed to realize this shared vision,” said Jacob Duer, President and CEO of the Alliance.
The Alliance is a global non-profit organization partnering with government, environmental and economic development NGOs and communities around the world to address the challenge to end plastic waste in the environment. The focus areas under Circular Great Lakes align with the Alliance’s strategic pillars of infrastructure, innovation, education and engagement, and clean up. As such, the Alliance recognizes that the initiative may present interesting opportunities for its member companies to consider for their own investment.
Founding corporate activation partners and funders of Circular Great Lakes include Dow, Inc., Charter Next Generation, Imperial, Pregis Corporation and American Packaging Corporation and Rothmans Benson & Hedges. More than 20 knowledge partners from government, academia, and the nonprofit sectors are supporting the initiative and are uniting to actively combat plastic waste and pollution in the Great Lakes.
To learn more about Circular Great Lakes, visit CircularGreatLakes.org.
About Charter Next Generation
Charter Next Generation is North America’s leading independent producer of high-performance, specialty films used in flexible packaging and other end-use markets. Known for innovative products and world-class manufacturing capabilities, the company’s quality and expertise are unsurpassed. Its exclusive focus on film and relentless pursuit of excellence make it the ideal partner for any film need – from monolayer to multilayer, blown to cast, and breathable to barrier.
Visit Charter Next Generation on the Internet at: https://cnginc.com
Media Contacts:
- Bill Singer
- Director of Marketing, Branding
- (856) 981-0991 / bill.singer@cnginc.com
- Scott Hammer
- Director of Corporate Sustainability
- (608) 868-5757, 4527 / Scott.Hammer@cnginc.com
About the Council of the Great Lakes Region
CGLR is a binational network of organizations comprised of CGLR Canada, CGLR USA and the CGLR Foundation. It is dedicated to deepening the United States-Canada relationship in the Great Lakes economic region, and focuses on creating stronger, more dynamic cross-border collaborations through dialogue, policy research, and advocacy in order to find new ways of harnessing the region’s economic strengths and assets, improving the well-being and livelihoods of the region’s 107 million citizens, and protecting the environment for future generations. Through its work, CGLR is striving to turn the binational Great Lakes economic region into the most prosperous, innovative, sustainable, and welcoming region in the world.
Visit CGLR on the Internet at: https://councilgreatlakesregion.org/
Media Contact:
- Mark Fisher, President and CEO
- Council of the Great Lakes Region
- (613) 668-2044 / mark@councilgreatlakesregion.org
Visuals/Interview Sources:
- Circular Great Lakes Launch Video (a must watch)
Quick Facts:
- It is estimated that 81% of the Great Lakes post-consumer waste is lost to landfills, including valuable materials like plastic according to a recent report from the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
- An estimated 22 million pounds (10,000 tonnes) of plastic waste could be entering the Great Lakes every year from the U.S. and Canada according to models developed by the Rochester Institute of Technology.
