Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36465566›Full record

ArticleOne earth (Cambridge, Mass.)2022

Voluntary commitments made by the world's largest companies focus on recycling and packaging over other actions to address the plastics crisis.

Zoie Diana, Kelly Reilly, Rachel Karasik, Tibor Vegh, Yifan Wang, Zoe Wong, Lauren Dunn, Robert Blasiak, Meagan M Dunphy-Daly, Daniel Rittschof and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in One earth (Cambridge, Mass.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. State of microbeads in facial scrubs: persistence and the need for broader regulation.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Zoie DianaDuke University, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA.
Kelly ReillyDuke University, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, & Sustainability, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Rachel KarasikDuke University, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, & Sustainability, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Tibor VeghDuke University, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, & Sustainability, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Yifan WangDuke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Zoe WongDuke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Lauren DunnDuke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Robert BlasiakStockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Meagan M Dunphy-DalyDuke University, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA.
Daniel RittschofDuke University, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Duke University, Beaufort, North Carolina, USA.
Daniel VermeerDuke University, The Fuqua School of Business, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Amy PickleDuke University, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, & Sustainability, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
John VirdinDuke University, Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, & Sustainability, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Funding

Duke University Program in Environmental HealthT32ES021432 · NIEHS · DUKE UNIVERSITY · PI Akhenaton-Andrew Dhafir Jones, Joel Newman Meyer · 2013 to 2026
$4.0M
NIEHS NIH HHS T32 ES021432
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Plastic pollution has caused significant environmental and health challenges. Corporations that contribute to the make, use, and distribution of plastics can play a vital role in addressing global plastic pollution and many are committing to voluntary pledges. However, the extent to which corporation voluntary commitments are helping solve the problem remains underexplored. Here we develop a novel typology to characterize voluntary commitments to reduce plastic pollution made between 2015-2020 by 974 companies including the top 300 of the Fortune Global. We find that 72% of these companies have made commitments to reduce plastic pollution. About 67% of companies participating in voluntary environmental programs (VEPs) and 17% of non-VEPs participants made measurable and timebound commitments. However, rather than tackle virgin plastics, most companies target general plastics and frequently emphasize end-of-life controls with a primary focus on recycling. Growing commitments on plastic pollution are made by large and important companies, but significantly more efforts beyond plastic recycling are required to effectively address plastic pollution challenges.

Identifiers

PMID36465566
PMCPMC9718439

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.