Back in 2013, two friends by the names of David Katz and Shaun Frankson started a project they thought could help fight the ocean plastic epidemic while at the same time help impoverished communities receive social benefits out of their commitment to this noble cause. Plastic Bank was thus created. Since then, and through the help of their different certifications and programs, which invite both individuals and companies, they have stopped 61.1 Million kilograms of plastic from reaching our oceans, that is, 3,056,960,700 plastic bottles, or, put up in other words… too much effing plastic! With over 22,000 community members that form over 600 recycling communities, Plastic Bank is definitely one of our world’s leading organizations committed to the task of cleaning our oceans. That being said, let’s not forget they also help impoverished communities get access to social programs that provide benefits such as health, work and life insurance, banking services, and much more in what they call trading plastic for worth. This plastic, which in turn is transformed into a type of currency for these communities, is called Social Plastic. It is registered and made accountable for through their app, which uses blockchain technology, allowing them, in their own words “not to have to promise anything, but to assure it”. This plastic then ends up in the hands of big brands and manufacturers to be reused and/or recycled, thus closing the cycle in a perfect circular economy loop. As of today, 15.6 Million kilograms of Social Plastic have been used by 150 partners worldwide. With operations currently in Haiti, Brazil, Indonesia, The Philippines and Egypt, Plastic Bank is determined to help the most needed communities transcend poverty while they help us in our fight to save our Planet.
We have mapped Plastic Bank to:
- Reducing Carbon Emissions
- Reducing Waste
- Protecting Ecosystems/Low Impact
- Supporting Community
Plastic Bank Certifies:
- Companies
- Products
- Suppliers & Manufacturers
Cost to get certified:
Yet another cool feature from these guys. There is no actual cost to get certified, instead, you get to choose the way in which you want to help them clean our oceans, whether it is through their Social Plastic Feedstock program, buying plastic credits for social programs, or just donating to support plastic collection programs. You can find out how to help through your business in this link. Info on individual sign-ups can be found here.
Do they perform audits on companies:
No. They don’t “traditionally” audit companies, instead, they give them options to participate either as an ocean steward through donations and/or as a commercial partner by utilizing the Social Plastic Feedstock program which is in run by and audited by Plastic Bank and ends up accrediting Social Plastic with blockchain technology, assuring their partners that the use of their plastic is helping both provide a better life for the poorest communities and preventing more plastic reach our already heavily polluted oceans.
Standards listed on their website
Yes, everything you need to know about them and how to collaborate with them can be found on their homepage.
Controversies:
- Unsurprisingly we couldn’t find any scandals or controversies linked to Plastic Bank. Feel free to share any articles related or facts about this organization that we might have missed for our Controversies section.
