Plastic Bank the ‘radical optimist’ disrupting the plastic collection world

From ocean waste to economic empowerment, Plastic Bank is transforming discarded plastic into a force for good. With over 61,500 collectors and partnerships with global brands like Wella Company and LVMH, the social enterprise is proving that sustainability and social impact can go hand in hand.

Plastic Bank was born as a collective action platform through which people, businesses, and big corporations can traceably fund plastic collection and support collector communities, while enabling circularity for the material. 

Businesses and individuals can sponsor the collection of a fixed amount of plastic per year though the wide range of subscriptions Plastic Bank offers. 

‘We believe every action that enables circularity is a step in the right direction, especially when it empowers the people who suffer the devastating consequences of poverty and plastic pollution,’ Plastic Bank told The Conference Corner, ‘Every piece of plastic prevented from polluting the environment and transformed into a resource to solve poverty is a win for the people and the planet.’

This helps businesses build customer trust by enabling them to prove their commitment to end plastic pollution. Funding a plastic collection gives businesses access to impact data and licensing rights backed by Plastic Bank’s internal blockchain platform.

Since its inception back in 2013, the group has built up a community of over 61 500 collectors and has enabled the collection of over 174m kilograms of discarded plastic. To date over 500 companies have led meaningful change with the organisation, some of these include: Specsavers, LVMH, Coca Cola and Wella Company.  

The inception of Plastic Bank

Following the documentation of the impact of plastic pollution on Midway Island by photographer Chris Jordan, Plastic Bank founder and CEO David Katz (pictured above in the centre) was pushed to launch his project. 

‘I saw albatrosses with bellies full of plastic, dying because they couldn't distinguish it from food. That sight was a turning point for me.’ said Katz, ‘It was a moment of profound sadness but also a catalyst for change.’

According to the UN’s environmental programme, each day the equivalent of 2 000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into oceans, rivers and lakes around the world. The global impact of plastic pollution is not a new phenomena, it deeply affects maritime wildlife, reducing the ecosystem's ability to adapt to climate change. 

While many countries in the world have put in place robust recycling systems, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled, 19% is incinerated and almost 50% ends up in sanitary landfills.

For Plastic Bank, it is more than plastic pollution itself that matters to them. ‘What drives us is everything that happens around it: the social and environmental inequalities it reveals and the mindset shift needed to realize that plastic pollution is solvable,’ said a PB spokesperson. 

Empowering local communities 

Over time Plastic Bank has built close relationships with communities located in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, and Egypt who work as plastic collectors. 

These regions have experienced both high rates of ‘plastic pollution and significant levels of poverty', which makes them key areas for the organisation.

‘This intersection allows us to create the greatest social and environmental impact. In these regions, many communities rely heavily on single-use packaging for clean and sterile goods, yet lack adequate waste management infrastructure. Our model helps address both the waste challenge and the poverty cycle simultaneously.’ said a spokesperson for Plastic Bank. 

The organisation does not view itself as a charity but rather as a systemic solution to poverty and plastic pollution. 

‘We formalize the vital yet often precarious work that waste pickers are already doing around the world, offering dignity, inclusion, secure income and access to social benefits,’ said a PB spokesperson. 

This system enables local communities to ‘uplift themselves’ and support their families while protecting the planet. 

‘We expand operations through strategic partnerships. By collaborating with local processors, we enable new markets to implement the Plastic Bank model using our app’, the firm added. 

Upon the collection of plastic, the collectors receive bonus payments above market rates directly into their digital wallets. Plastic Bank also offers its collector access to training, mentorship, educational supplies, fintech services, and insurance programs. The collected plastic is delivered to the PB’s processing partners, Plastic Bank’s internal app records and verifies every transaction to these partners. 

In September, Plastic Bank announced its partnership with Netherlands-based smart home product manufacturer, EZVIZ, who will fund the removal of 20 000 kilograms of plastic this year. 

Following on from this news, Plastic Bank revealed that it is regularly approached by ‘progressive and purpose-driven individuals’ who want to be involved in the plastic collection process. 

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Feature images provided by Plastic Bank.