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This data is live from our blockchain-secured Alchemy Platform

Data last verified on Alchemy™: Friday, 02/03/2023

Ocean-bound plastic

Ocean-bound plastic has not yet found its way into the ocean. This represents plastic that is found on the ground within 50 kilometers of a waterway or coastal area, and is otherwise unlikely to be collected.

Bottles Stopped

The amount of ocean-bound plastic collected and recycled in our recycling communities converted into bottles. Conversion rate is 50 bottles per kg (the average weight of a 500mL bottle is ~20g)

Community Members

Individuals within a recycling community who collect plastic and deliver it to a collection point in exchange for collection benefits.

Recycling Communities

Community of plastic collectors living within 50 kilometres of ocean-bound waterways involved in plastic collection and its exchange at Plastic Bank collection points.

Alchemy™

Alchemy is the blockchain platform that powers the Plastic Bank app. It enables fully traceable recycling processes, secures income for recycling community members and tailors impact reports for our stewards.

Building Global Solutions to fight Ocean Plastic

Written by Peter Nitschke on 16 December 2019

Ocean Plastic and poverty are global problems that need global solutions. A study by Tearfund explored the connections of poverty and plastic pollution stating that poor people are the ones affected most by plastic pollution and ocean plastic.

Mismanaged plastic in shanty towns and waterways causes floods in rainy season and provide breeding places for pests and cause a high level of airborne diseases.

As the global plastic waste crisis is also impacting Biodiversity and affecting all of life on this planet, it was big on the agenda of this year’s United Nations General Assembly in Nairobi this March.

I had the great opportunity to present our new Interfaith Stewardship Program at the Faith for Earth side events, where more than 150 faith leaders from around the world representing all religions were present.

I was very encouraged by the positive feedback and the eagerness of many religious leaders to build relationships with us to explore partnerships. Dr. Abumoghli from the Faith for Earth initiative stated that 85% of all people worldwide are connected to a faith community. We want to harness the power of faith to contribute to a global solution to marine litter and poverty.

While the leaders of this world struggled in Nairobi to come up with a breakthrough resolution to solve the problem, civil society leaders, businesses and faith groups discussed and worked on the sidelines creating powerful bottom-up approaches to end the dreadful pollution of our planet.

For us at Plastic Bank, we built strong connections to Africa and found many new friends on this wonderful continent. Some of the leaders we met, like Rudolf from Eden’s Stewards, who are leading more than 30 churches already protecting biodiversity in Kenya and are collecting plastic. We were also impressed by Mariam, a leader from Nigeria, who is collecting plastic through their Muslim charity.

Our next step is to explore setting up a strong presence in Africa utilizing these connections into strong partnerships for creating a viable impact in many African countries, transforming lives and empowering communities.

Learn more about and join our Interfaith Stewardship Program!