Our progress in single-use plastic elimination

Single-use plastics, like bags, bottles, and packaging, are a common part of our daily lives. Unfortunately, their convenience comes with serious harm to the environment. Cummins is committed to doing its part to tackle plastic pollution.

Cummins defines single-use plastics as petroleum or nonbiodegradable plastics designed to be used one time before they are thrown away or recycled, excluding materials required to be used for health and safety, regulatory requirements or Cummins rules.

Why is it important to reduce single-use plastic?

Single-use plastics are known for their durability, versatility and lightweight. Today we produce around 440 million metric tons of plastic each year with around half of this being used for single-use items. If historic trends continue, by 2050 the global production of primary plastic is forecasted to be 1,100 million tons.

It has been estimated that just 9% of plastics ever produced are believed to have been recycled.^[1] Many single-use plastic items such as straws, bags and cutlery are not accepted by recycling centers because they are too small and therefore get caught in the crevices of recycling machinery. Other items such as coffee cups cannot be recycled due to their interior plastic coating.

Over time, plastics do not break down on their own, they break up into what is known as microplastics. These microplastics continue to break down into smaller pieces and exist in the environment indefinitely. Microplastics end up in our water, inside our bodies and are eaten by animals. These microplastics accumulate over time and pose many health risks.

How is Cummins reducing single-use plastic?

In 2023, Cummins launched a single-use plastic elimination roadmap across 64 sites with dining facilities globally.   This roadmap provides teams with tools and resources to eliminate single-use plastics while encouraging customizable solutions to fit their site’s unique needs and challenges. By the fourth quarter of 2023, 21 sites reported to have eliminated single-use plastics in their dining facilities. Cummins is now working to expand this roadmap to our amenity areas and additional sites with dining facilities from recent acquisitions. By developing a flexible, employee-driven, and localized set of solutions, we are adapting strategies to meet regional needs while maintaining a consistent global vision.

How is Cummins engaging employees in the journey to reduce single-use plastic?

Cummins recognized the importance of employee engagement in reducing single-use plastic use. To drive action, a single-use plastic employee education program was developed and shared globally to educate employees on the issue of single-use plastic, explain what Cummins is doing to address this issue and demonstrate how individual employees can make an impact.

As part of this campaign, Cummins encouraged employees to make more sustainable choices, both at work and in their daily lives. One way to start is by noticing when and where single-use plastics are present—whether it’s takeout containers, disposable coffee cups, office supplies, or even personal care products. From there, consider which of these items could be replaced with more sustainable and reusable alternatives. Even small changes, like swapping plastic bags for reusable ones or choosing products with less packaging, can create a meaningful impact. Finally, encourage others to join in these efforts to amplify the impact. Together, we can reduce our reliance on single-use plastics and create lasting change for generations to come.

Want to learn more about our progress toward environmental goals? Don’t forget to check out our 2023-24 sustainability progress report.

^[1] https://stories.undp.org/why-arent-we-recycling-more-plastic