Poverty and plastic pollution are intertwined

Did you know that 8 percent of the global population lives in extreme poverty and survives with just US$2.19 per day?* Poverty is one of the most pressing issues that humanity faces today. More than being a social problem, it’s an environmental one.

“We must understand that most of the plastic waste that leaks into our ocean comes from areas of poverty. If we want to solve what’s occurring in the ocean, we have to look upstream and alleviate poverty.” – David Katz, Founder, Plastic Bank

Poverty and plastic pollution are intertwined. Many low-income communities rely on economical options often packed in single-use plastic, such as bottles and sachets. This leads to the overconsumption of cheap disposable goods, leaving a huge amount of plastic waste in the environment that eventually finds its way to our ocean.

Ocean Stewards help break this unfavorable cycle through Social Recycling. By helping turn plastic into a currency that can be exchanged for secure income and life-improving benefits, you’re empowering collection community members to find a path out of poverty while stopping ocean plastic.

One decision creates a ripple effect – just like how a decision to help save our ocean ends up improving the lives of collection communities in vulnerable coastal areas.

Together, we can empower a social recycling movement and make a difference for the planet and humanity.

*Based on a report by World Bank Group

Philippines

Our Community Partnership team in the Philippines received a Plaque of Commendation from the Department of Education - School Division of Naga City for our commitment to partnering with schools in the city. By engaging with these educational institutions, we’ve helped them set up plastic waste collection facilities at their campuses. This makes proper disposal accessible while socializing recycling to their students, parents, and the entire community.

Indonesia

It was a momentous February for our collection community in Indonesia, stopping 40 million kilograms of plastic from entering the ocean – the equivalent of 2 billion single-use 500ml PET bottles collected for proper recycling. In 2018, our movement started in Indonesia with 8 collection branches in Bali that were collecting 5,000 kilograms of plastic every month. Now, the country is home to our biggest ecosystem with over 13,500 collection members and an average monthly collection of 1.5 million kilograms of plastic.

As for our Community Partnership Program in Indonesia, our team conducted an environmental awareness and training session for 40 employees of our local partner PT Jerosite (Ripcurl). We educated them about the dangers of plastic pollution, encouraged them to be mindful of their plastic consumption, and socialize recycling as a habit.

Brazil

Our Ocean Stewards in Brazil collected more than 186,000 kilograms of plastic in January 2023 – the country’s highest collection since March 2022. Last month, another 154,762 kilograms of plastic was collected, totaling more than 340,000 kilograms or 17 million single-use 500ml PET bottles in just two months since the start of the year.

As part of our Community Development Program, we have distributed 20 food boxes and 120 vegetable boxes to our community members in Espírito Santo. Meanwhile, 62 children of our members, from preschool to high school, received school supplies to support them in their education. We also gave away 38 food boxes to our members in São Paulo as well as Bertioga who were greatly affected by the recent heavy rains in the area.

Egypt

Our Egypt team has launched a pilot of a new Health and Safety Program, distributing health kits including gloves and face masks to more than 200 collection community members and their spouses.