On the eve of the plastics treaty talks in South Korea in November, consumer goods maker SC Johnson announced it was ahead of schedule meeting its goal of having 25 percent recycled content plastic in its packaging.
But Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson, who attended the talks in the port city of Busan, told a side event at the negotiations that he wasn't particularly proud of that accomplishment.
In fact, he saw it as evidence to double down for an ambitious treaty that pushes every company to do what the Racine, Wis.-based SC Johnson is doing.
"Even though we've been working at incorporating recycled plastic in our products for more than 30 years, to date we've only incorporated 25 percent recycled plastic in all our products globally," he said. "While we're in the top tier of companies in our industry who've achieved that level of recycled content, I can't stand here and tell you I'm proud of that number. It's been hard to get there."
Johnson told a Busan ballroom of diplomats and treaty delegates at a Nov. 24 event organized by the World Wildlife Fund that the agreement needs to foster strong regulations like extended producer responsibility to increase the supply of plastic with post-consumer recycled content.
"The supply of PCR is limited around the world," he said. "There's limited scale and traction in the recycling value chain. And it's expensive to the point of competitive disadvantage.
"The point is that voluntary initiatives can only go so far," Johnson said. "We need government regulation if we're going to make more rapid and more significant progress in addressing this incredibly important issue."
It's an argument Johnson has made elsewhere. He testified before a Senate hearing in March advocating a national EPR framework for packaging, and in social media posts, he has noted meetings and posted selfies with lawmakers including Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to talk about EPR and plastics legislation.