Yara is reducing its environmental impact and is introducing packaging made with at least 30 percent recycled plastic all over Europe during 2023. The company aims to reduce the carbon footprint of its packaging materials by 40 percent by 2030 compared to 2021.

Plastic consumption has quadrupled over the past 30 years and plastic production has doubled from 2000 to 2019, reaching 460 million tonnes. Plastic not only pollutes the environment but also amplifies climate change by contributing to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of its lifecycle, from production to waste management.

In agriculture, widespread and long-term use of plastic, coupled with lack of systematic collection and sustainable management, leads to plastic accumulation in soils and aquatic environments.

“Plastic pollution constitutes a planetary crisis demanding change in our approach to secure a sustainable future. To deliver on Yara’s ambition of growing a nature-positive food future, we are committed to continuously reducing our climate impact as well as the environmental footprint from the use of our products. That includes reducing the environmental impact of our plastic packaging materials by using recycled plastic, reducing plastic packaging, ensuring packaging is recyclable and working with other players in the value chain to collect and recycle material. Yara’s sustainable packaging roll out is a promising start to ensure that our packaging does not cause harm to nature,” says Bernhard Stormyr, VP Sustainability Governance at Yara International.

In agriculture, plastic is used for various purposes, such as protected cultivation films, nets, piping, irrigation, drainage, and packaging materials. While they can increase productivity and efficiency in all agricultural sectors and help minimize food loss and waste, plastics are a major source of contamination.

“The growing challenges of hunger, soil degradation, climate change, and supply chain disruptions demand immediate action from all of us. At Yara, we recognize that we need to take part in it. Across industries, there is an urgent need to better monitor the quantities of plastic products used that leak into the environment from agriculture. That is why we are taking measures in Europe and beyond to have all packaging recyclable by 2030, whilst at the same time securing the safety and quality of our product,” says Stormyr.