Since 2019, Plastic Bank Indonesia gathers Ocean Stewards to stop ocean plastic and alleviate poverty by using plastic waste as currency. The social enterprise enables ethical plastic collection in communities within 50 kilometers of coastlines and waterways. Collection community members exchange plastic waste at collection branches for cash and life-improving benefits, including health, work and life insurance, digital connectivity, social and fintech services. Exchanges are recorded through the PlasticBank® app, powered by Alchemy™, our blockchain-secured platform that enables traceable collection, secures income, and verifies reporting. Collected material is processed into Social Plastic® feedstock for reuse in products and packaging.
"Indonesia is one of the world's top ocean plastic polluters with 3.7 million informal waste workers living in poverty. The 2 billion bottle collection milestone is an evidence of our commitment to support the government's target of reducing ocean plastic by 75% by 2025. However, we still have a long way to go in turning off the tap of plastic pollution," said Frederick Ramadhani Saman, the Country Manager of Plastic Bank Indonesia. "We invite everyone to socialize recycling for a world without ocean plastic, starting with mindfulness of our consumption habits."
