The First Mile Report April 2022 | Page 17

THE FIRST MILE
partners supported our social impact programming , but they have also allowed us to grow demand for the supplies that are being collected and increase their value as time goes on .”
That , in turn , highlights the detrimental impact of child labour in supply chains to those brands yet to partner with The First Mile . They may not even be aware that it ' s there , warns Kelsey Halling . “ This first mile of the supply chain is not covered in standard audits or standard certifications that cover recycled materials . Very rarely do recyclers understand what landfill communities look like , even though they are buying material that is being sourced from those communities , and so the

“ THE INSIGHTS AND SOLUTIONS THAT WE ' RE ABLE TO OFFER TO BRANDS

ARE REALLY HELPFUL TO THEM ”

KELSEY HALLING HEAD OF PARTNERSHIPS ,
THE FIRST MILE
insights and solutions that we ' re able to offer to brands are really helpful to them . Instead of just saying they are not going to source from these places because these things are happening , we give them assurance that this material is being sourced in a thoughtful and dignified way . That is the real value that we ' re able to bring to our partners .”
Most companies now are making serious commitments around the amount of recycled material they want to be using , by 2025 , 2030 or even 2050 , and recognising that if they ' re going to reach those goals they ' re going to be sourcing from new
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