FAB-B.08.C - Plastic Use Reduction Progress
Does the company report progress on reducing its plastic use?
About the data
The WBA Food and Agriculture Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential food and agriculture companies on their efforts to transform global food systems, tracking how companies work towards food that is healthy and nutritious, produced sustainably within planetary boundaries, and accessible and fairly produced for all. The 2026 edition assessed 350 companies spanning the entirety of the food and agriculture value chain, from agricultural inputs and commodities through to manufacturing, retail, and food service. Companies were scored on 23 food and agriculture-specific indicators and 18 core social indicators across four measurement areas: governance, sustainable food systems, healthy food systems, and inclusive food systems. The benchmark is developed in close collaboration with an Expert Review Committee and is designed to incentivise the most influential companies in the sector to adopt sustainable business practices across their own operations and supply chains, addressing critical issues including greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, freshwater use, nutrition, and living incomes for farmers, with human rights and social equity at its core. More information can be found here.
Methodology
Since the 1980s, plastic pollution has increased tenfold (IPBES, 2019). Projections indicate
that global plastic production will double by 2050, with approximately 8 million tonnes entering
marine environments annually (UNEP, BRS Conventions and Minamata Convention, 2021). Notably,
around 50% of all plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes, contributing significantly to
this escalating issue. There is an urgent need for companies to adopt and disclose comprehensive
plastic management strategies to reduce their plastic use.
Research Guidance:
Companies must either:
Disclose progress against the targets in element (b); only accepted if the target is timebound and measurable as specified by the requirements in element (b), or:
If there is no target, the company must disclose three years in a row with continuous, absolute improvements on the topics assessed in element (a).
Aligned with element (a) this is unmet if the progress:
Are based on financial metrics (e.g. sales)
Only include single product lines, or only regarding part of its operations (e.g. specific sites)
that global plastic production will double by 2050, with approximately 8 million tonnes entering
marine environments annually (UNEP, BRS Conventions and Minamata Convention, 2021). Notably,
around 50% of all plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes, contributing significantly to
this escalating issue. There is an urgent need for companies to adopt and disclose comprehensive
plastic management strategies to reduce their plastic use.
Research Guidance:
Companies must either:
Disclose progress against the targets in element (b); only accepted if the target is timebound and measurable as specified by the requirements in element (b), or:
If there is no target, the company must disclose three years in a row with continuous, absolute improvements on the topics assessed in element (a).
Aligned with element (a) this is unmet if the progress:
Are based on financial metrics (e.g. sales)
Only include single product lines, or only regarding part of its operations (e.g. specific sites)
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report