Here's what we've achieved together in 2022

Another year has come and gone, and 2022 was one for the books! Together, we made a difference for our communities, our ocean, and the world at large.

We kicked off the year by reaching the milestone of preventing over 2 billion bottles from reaching the ocean, and within just 10 months, we reached the 3 billion bottle collection mark, too! This fall, we introduced the quest for Ocean Stewardship to the global plastic manufacturing supply chain on the 70th anniversary of K - the world's largest plastic fair.

David Katz on revolutionizing the way we approach plastic, with Marco ten Bruggencate, President Plastics Europe at K2022

A big thank you, Ocean Stewards – collection members, branch owners, partners and Bankers – for your commitment to create a word without waste.

These are just some of the highlights of 2022. So, before we cap off the year, let’s dive into some of the most impactful moments in our communities over the last 12 months.

Our community in Indonesia welcomed 40 new collection branches and 6,335 new collection community members in 2022. We formed new partnerships with like-minded organizations that want to stop ocean plastic.

Plastic Bank Indonesia team during its end-of-year celebration in Bali in December 2022.

Over 1,900 health insurances, 2,400 work insurances, 300 smartphones, and 2,500 grocery vouchers were made available to our collection members as part of our community programs in the country. More than 1,500 members also received training on basic business and financial literacy, sustainability and recycling.

Plastic Bank Indonesia’s Community Partnership team partnered with 28 new faith institutions and 6 schools, and conducted 6 beach cleanups. In collaboration with Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) and GreenBooks, the team developed the Ocean Steward Educational Program – a curriculum for schools that teaches the next generation about the importance of caring for our planet.

In the Philippines, 44 collection branches and more than 2,100 new collection members joined our ecosystem in 2022. We launched the Community Relief Fund program in the country, which supported 27 of our collection members to make cash advances for emergencies and basic needs.

The Plastic Bank Philippines team visited the Jecka Collection Branch in General Trias, Cavite, Philippines.

Over 980 members received accident insurance to cover their collection activities. Plastic Bank ID cards supported over 850 members in securing a valid ID that they can use to avail various social and financial services. One of our local partners also supported the distribution of health kits containing antiseptic solutions, bandages and supplements to more than 2,000 members.

This year, we partnered with 45 new schools and 9 new faith institutions in the Philippines as part of our Community Partnership Program. The Community Partnership team also supported students with 250 mobile tablets for education and online learning.

In 2022, 960 new collection members and 49 new collection branches registered with us in Brazil. We launched our community in Rocinha, the largest favela in Rio De Janeiro, scaling our local impact with the collection of 20,496 kilograms of plastic (over 1 million plastic bottles) in just six months.

Plastic Bank Brazil team and collection members at the launch of Rocinha Recicla in June 2022.

Our profound connections with our members helped us learn that one of the biggest local challenges is food security. This guided us to enable a food distribution program to support our communities. The first distribution reached 104 members and the next one is scheduled before the end of the year to reach another 304 members.

Across Brazil, around 40 schools have set up a collection branch in their campus through our Community Partnership Program, including the NatureCycle Sustainable School, which has collected over 21,572 kilograms of plastic (over 1 million plastic bottles) this year. Our long-standing faith partner Bom Pastor Parish has collected over 7,000 kilograms of plastic (350,000 plastic bottles).

In Egypt, 9 new branches expanded our collection network in 5 new governates, onboarding 600 new collection members this year. Our local partnerships enabled the collection of 20,000 kilograms of plastic (1 million bottles).

Plastic Bank Egypt team celebrating its 300 million bottle collection milestone in AlAin ElSokhna, located by the Red Sea.

In the last 12 months, over 500 collection members received medical discount cards and more than 200 families received school supplies in our collection communities.

While these milestones have only scratched the surface of the plastic problem, we’re rolling up our sleeves and trying to scale our actions faster than the rate of degradation that’s unfolding in the world. Join us, we’re stronger together!

See you in 2023 for an even bigger impact!

Did you know that the most wonderful time of the year is also the most wasteful?

The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) estimates an average of 4.8 kilograms of plastic packaging waste is produced per household in the UK during the holiday season.

With our #HolidayImpact Certificate, you can stop 4.8 kilograms of plastic from entering the ocean for just US $4.80! Collected plastic is exchanged by collection community members for secure income and life-improving benefits that help them transcend poverty.

Create impact this holiday at plasticbank.com/holidayimpact.