How do you turn plastic into gold? It’s a bit of a conundrum!
There’s a great initiative called Plastic Bank that helps recycle plastic and gives developing communities an opportunity to grow and flourish.
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How does Plastic Bank work? Formed in 2013, Plastic Bank works in countries like Haiti, Brazil and Egypt. People in the communities there collect plastic from and nearby the oceans and rivers.
They then take the plastic to local recycling markets set up by Plastic Bank and receive a premium for the plastic they gather. They can then use the money to buy things like groceries, health insurance and schooling.
What happens after the plastic is collected? Plastic Bank recycles and processes it, turning it into something called ‘Social Plastic’.
Manufacturers can buy this plastic to create more environmentally aware products. There are lots of big companies using social plastic at the moment, including Aldi, SC Johnson and Shell.
This creates a circular economy where plastic is bought, used and then repurposed. And here at doggoneplastic.com, we love going round and round in circles!
Plastic Bank currently works in 558 different locations around the world and has recycled a staggering 22,775 kg of plastic! Given that the average person generates 84 kilograms of plastic waste a year, that’s a lot!
Plastic Bank is not only changing the way that companies buy plastic, but is changing life in poorer countries too. Some schools in Haiti now accept plastic in place of tuition fees!
Find out more at: https://plasticbank.com/