This data is live from Alchemy

Our proprietary blockchain-secured platform

Data last verified: Sunday, 09/24/2023

1Ocean-bound plastic

Plastic Bank operates under the global standard defined by Jenna Jambeck. Ocean-bound plastic is defined as plastic that has not yet found its way into the ocean but is classified as "mismanaged waste". That is, plastic that is not being (formally) collected, is not likely to be collected, and is found within 50km of an ocean-bound waterway or coastal area.

2Community Members

Individuals within a recycling community who collect plastic and exchange it at a Plastic Bank collection branch for secure income and life-improving benefits.

3Equivalent 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)

4Recycling 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.

Plastic Bank is a signatory of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment

Written by Rob Stocks on 16 December 2019

Minutes to read: 1 minute

Plastic Bank is a proud signatory of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment along with 350 organisations around the world.  The Global Commitment aims to eliminate unnecessary plastic, innovate more recyclable and efficient packaging, and circulate plastic to be reused or recycled after its first life.

At Plastic Bank, our mission is to stop ocean plastic and alleviate poverty by turning plastic into a currency. Our members exchange plastic waste at local Plastic Bank branches for bonuses that help provide basic family necessities, such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, health insurance, digital connectivity, and fintech services. Collected material is processed into Social Plastic® feedstock for reuse in products and packaging.

The collected material is processed and reborn as Social Plastic® feedstock and used in the production of products and packaging. By using Social Plastic®, manufacturers help create a new life for old plastic and support the circular economy.

We are a movement that not just reveals the value in materials, but even in people and their acts in service to life for a wasteless world. A world where no material is waste and no human is wasteful.

To learn more about the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, visit www.newplasticseconomy.org.