To execute on this commitment, the Chicago-based natural products manufacturer is partnering with plastics action platform rePurpose Global, established in 2016 to build a more circular, inclusive and waste-free global economy.
“Becoming a Plastic Recovery Pledge Partner with rePurpose Global is the latest example of our decades-long commitment to environmental responsibility and creating a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come,” said Amber Cerda, director of marketing at NOW. “Our Plastic Recovery Pledge shows we are taking action to fight plastic pollution and working with rePurpose Global allows us to have a verifiable impact on our planet’s ecosystems.”
NOW’s pledge supports the Global Laut Yang Tenang project in West Java, Indonesia and the Saaf Samudra project in Goa, India to recover plastics from the coastlines and prevent leakage into the oceans.
The plastic pollution problem
With some 130 million metric tons of plastic pollution entering the environment every year, the world’s plastic pollution problem is a systemic failure in how plastic is produced, used and managed after use.
According to statistics cited by rePurpose Global, less than 10% of plastic waste generated globally has been recycled, and around two billion people on the planet lack access to waste collection systems, particularly in low-income regions. As a result, nature-bound waste—historically exported from richer countries to poorer ones—is dumped on open land, burned, and leaked into rivers and oceans where it harms wildlife and marine ecosystem, contributes to flooding and disease, and exposes people to toxins and microplastics.
As highlighted in the “Breaking the Plastic Wave 2025” report published by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Systemiq, the global plastic system puts people worldwide at risk, with the most vulnerable bearing the brunt of the impacts.
“Without action, by 2040, the amount of plastic polluting the environment will more than double; plastic-related greenhouse gas emissions will undermine global efforts to stem planetary warming; and plastic production and waste will threaten the health of growing numbers of people around the world,” Tom Dillon, senior vice president of environment and cross-cutting initiatives at The Pew Charitable Trusts, shared in a statement accompanying the report. “However, hope remains. The global community can remake the plastic system and solve the plastic pollution problem in a generation, but decision makers will need to prioritize people and the planet.”
A fairer and cleaner future
To combat the growing effluence of plastics, rePurpose Global is advancing a closed loop system of reuse and recycle by funding plastic recovery projects in high-leakage regions, not only helping companies measure and offset their plastic footprint but investing in waste management infrastructure and workers and supporting policy and innovation for long-term systemic change. As such, a rePurpose pledge is both a commitment to addressing the plastic waste crisis and to supporting social outcomes in regions heavily impacted by plastic pollution and inequality.
“Millions of workers are involved in formal and informal waste management, including recycling, around the world—from Nairobi and Bogotá to Mumbai and Jakarta,” NOW highlights on its dedicated rePurpose page. “They play a vital role in managing the impacts of our consumption. However, their environmental efforts often go unrecognized, and waste workers frequently face discrimination, marginalization and low pay.”
To date, the platform’s impact projects have helped more than 500 companies measure, reduce and act on their plastic footprints and have recovered over 100 million pounds of nature-bound plastic waste, in addition to providing fairer, safer and more dignified opportunities for marginalized waste workers.
“We are thrilled to partner with NOW in our collective mission to combat plastic pollution and drive transformational change,” said Svanika Balasubramanian, co-founder and chief circulatory officer at rePurpose Global. “We know that NOW shares our commitment to sustainable action. Together, we are working towards a fairer and cleaner future where plastic waste is no longer a threat to our environment and communities.”
The partnership complements NOW’s existing efforts to reduce plastic waste, which includes packaging 90% of NOW supplements, NOW Sports, NOW Pets and NOW Solutions carrier oil packaging in 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin, which the company says has diverted over 15 million pounds of plastic from landfills since 2023. Its six manufacturing facilities—two of which are LEED Certified—integrate energy-efficient lighting, solar panels, water conservation and electric car charging stations for a greener future.
