Social enterprise Plastic Bank has announced that it has stopped two billion plastic bottles from entering the ocean, revealing its partnership with SC Johnson has accounted for more than half of this achievement.
Two billion plastic bottles are the equivalent of stopping more than 40m kilograms of plastic that would have otherwise found its way into our oceans, as 100% of the plastic is collected within 30 miles of an ocean or waterway in countries without a formal waste collection infrastructure. With more than 8m metric tons of plastic estimated to pollute our oceans every year, Plastic Bank and SC Johnson’s global partnership is working to help eliminate plastic waste and find local solutions to this global crisis.
In reaching the bottle milestone, Plastic Bank worked with more than 30,000 collectors at more than 500 collection points across the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Egypt. Collectors in Plastic Bank’s ecosystems exchange plastic waste for bonuses that help improve household income and accessibility to basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, health insurance and digital connectivity.
Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson, said: “Preventing the equivalent of two billion plastic bottles from polluting our ocean ecosystems is an incredible feat, and SC Johnson is proud to play a large part in that achievement as we work toward our vision for a waste-free world.
“Our partnership with Plastic Bank is one of the many actions we are taking around the world to reduce waste, increase our use of recyclable plastic in our products and support underserved communities.”
David Katz, Founder and CEO of Plastic Bank, added: “Plastic pollution and its impact on our oceans is one of the world's most significant challenges. The collection of two billion ocean-bound plastic bottles is a testament to the fact that each of us can be a hero in reducing plastic waste while improving the lives of people who collect it. Our Heroes – SC Johnson, the collectors, other partners, branch owners, contributors and employees – are stewarding business, consumption, lives and the planet towards regeneration.”
