Milestone notes that partnership with SC Johnson accounts for half the total.

January 25, 2022

2 Min Read
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Plastic Bank, a social enterprise revolutionizing the global supply chain for recycled ocean-bound plastic, reports that it has stopped a milestone 2 billion plastic bottles from entering the ocean. Its global partnership with household products brand owner SC Johnson accounts for more than half of this environmental achievement while providing additional income for people in some of the world's most vulnerable communities.

"Preventing the equivalent of 2 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," says Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "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."

Two billion plastic bottles are the equivalent of stopping more than 40 million kilograms (more than 44,000 tons) of plastic that would have otherwise found its way into the ocean. 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 8 million 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.

"Plastic pollution and its impact on our oceans are among the world's most significant challenges,” says David Katz, Founder and CEO of Plastic Bank. “The collection of 2 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."

Impact of the partnership includes

  • Created 379 collection centers across Indonesia, the Philippines and Brazil since 2018.

  • Stopped more than 20 million kilograms of plastic, the equivalent of 1 billion plastic bottles, from disrupting ocean ecosystems.

  • Launched 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic bottles in two of SC Johnson's home cleaning brands: Windex in North America and Mr Muscle in the U.K. and Ireland.

  • Provided more than 22,000 people with additional income.

In reaching the 2 billion 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.

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