This data is live from our blockchain-secured Alchemy Platform

Data last verified on Alchemy™: Sunday, 03/19/2023

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.

Top 1,000 ocean pollution sources
Other major sources
Our Ecosystems

Our Impact Speaks Louder Than Words

Plastic Bank is reaching more vulnerable coastlines to stop ocean plastic and improve the lives of those who collect it.

Top 1,000 ocean pollution sources
Other major sources
Our Ecosystems
Alchemy™ Impact Report

Delivering on our promise, real-time

All data updated Sunday, 03/19/2023

Environment Impact
Restoring Ecosystems by Stopping Ocean Plastic

Our heroes are helping to rehabilitate vulnerable communities along the coastlines of our planet, while keeping their waterways and communities clean. Together, Plastic Bank’s collectors, branch owners, partners, contributors, and employees have stopped over 2 billion single-use plastic bottles from entering the world’s oceans – the equivalent of 40 million kilograms of plastic waste!

Social Impact
Improving lives with access to basic necessities

Collectors benefit from immediate, above-market bonuses from Plastic Bank for the collection of plastic waste. In addition to an increase in income, they are also able to access social programs designed to provide basic family necessities like groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, health insurance, digital connectivity, cell phone minutes, smartphones, and digital tablets.

Economic Impact
Ending Poverty Through a Regenerative Economy

The bonuses paid to collectors help create a path out of poverty. When collected plastic is reintroduced into the supply chain as Social Plastic® feedstock, the circular economy model is established which reduces the need for virgin plastic.

Our Collector Stories
Ika from Indonesia

Ika began collecting plastic waste to help clean up her community. She joined Plastic Bank to turn her plastic collection into meaningful employment. Plastic Bank is helping Ika support her family and the surrounding community.

Our Collector Stories
Danny from the Philippines

Danny is a fisherman who began collecting plastic waste floating in the sea and from nearby beaches during his morning fishing trips. Plastic Bank is helping Danny and his wife Juvy ensure basic family necessities like groceries. Through an improvement in their financial security, they have been able to invest in a small home renovation, repairs on their fishing boat, and even set up a savings account!

Our Collector Stories
Carla Maria from Brasil

For the past year, she has been collecting plastic around her neighbourhood, and along the coastline of Guanabara Bay. Carla Maria lives with her six children and her daughter-in-law. She exchanges plastic waste for basic family necessities like food, tuition, and health insurance, as well as medicine for her son.

Our Collector Stories
Bashay from Egypt

Bashay is a father and Plastic Bank collector in Cairo, Egypt. In the afternoons, he collects discarded plastic that is bound for the Nile and adjacent seas. Bashay exchanges the collected plastic for bonuses that help provide basic family necessities like food, tuition, and health insurance.

FOR Individuals
Support Plastic Collection and Improve Lives
FOR businesses
Become Part of a Regenerative Society

Our Global Impact

 

United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)

Plastic Bank has been a proud signatory to the UNGC since 2018. Plastic Bank is committed to sustainable and ethical environmental practices within our organization, while aiming to improve and align sustainability strategies for businesses around the world.

The New Plastics Economy with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Plastic Bank is proud to be a signatory of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment since 2018. The commitment calls on companies and governments to create a true circular economy for plastic by eliminating the plastic we don’t need, and supporting innovation so that all plastic is 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation unites more than 500 signatories in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all”. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. Through Plastic Bank’s programs, business practices, and partnerships, we are capable of meeting all 17 of these goals.

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