In recent years, 331.5 tons of plastic waste were collected, the equivalent of 16.5 million plastic bottles. Together in the fight against plastic waste entering the world’s oceans, Greiner Packaging has been cooperating with Plastic Bank since 2019. Greiner Packaging supported the launch of five Plastic Bank collection branches in Manila in the Philippines – one of the world’s largest plastic waste-producing countries.
Advancing a circular economy and fighting poverty
Plastic Bank empowers Ocean Stewards to stop ocean plastic. The ethical collection communities exchange plastic for life-improving benefits. Exchanges are recorded through a blockchain-secured platform that enables traceable collection, secures income, and verifies reporting. The collected material is processed into Social Plastic® feedstock for reuse in products and packaging.
We still have a long way to go before we achieve a global circular economy. Partnerships such as the ones between Greiner Packaging and Plastic Bank are an essential step in the right direction. In addition to advancing a circular economy and preventing plastic waste in the oceans, it also improves the lives of those who help collect it.
Establishing plastic waste as a valuable raw material
"Our partnership demonstrates that a circular economy is possible. The cycle from plastic waste carelessly thrown into the environment to recycled granulate that companies can use to make new products is a prime example of the potential offered by initiatives like this," says Manfred Stanek, CEO of Greiner Packaging.
