„We have to make plastic valuable“
Plastic Bank, founded in 2013 by David Katz, aims to encourage a billion people worldwide to monetise plastic waste instead of mindlessly dumping it in the oceans. In co-operation with Henkel, the first product packaging with ’Social Plastic’ was already launched last year.
Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Henkelstraße 67
40589 Düsseldorf
Germany
It is a well-known fact that industrial packaging has been contributing to the difficulties facing waste management. It is, however, less known that many businesses based in Düsseldorf have been looking for and researching sustainable alternatives for some time. The consumer goods manufacturer Henkel is backing a globally unique approach to reducing ocean plastic whilst empowering people living in poverty. The corporation is working with Plastic Bank – sort of a bank that deals in plastic. The social enterprise based in Vancouver has a unique and holistic approach to handling the plastic waste problem. In countries like Haiti which lack a col-lection and recycling infrastructure, the locals can take collected plastic waste to collection centres in exchange for money, donations in kind or social benefits. The plastic waste is then separated and processed and can then be added to the recycling value chain as so-called ’Social Plastic’. Plastic Bank then verifies the materials, which means that the waste collectors have received an above-average payment for the plastic they recovered. Henkel was the first global consumer goods producer to go into partnership with the social enterprise in 2017. Two years later the company launched the first packaging for cosmetics-, laundry- and cleaning products with Social Plastic. “By working with a company, which is taking a leading role in the area of corporate sustainability, we are able to reach even more people with our resolution and to have an even bigger, more positive impact on our natural environment. Together we can put a stop to plastic waste polluting our oceans – by monetising waste and at the same time creating new opportunities for people living in poverty,” says David Katz, founder and CEO of Plastic Bank.
“Together we can stop ocean plastic- by making waste a currency”
Monetising Waste: Plastic Bank’s initiative removes thousands of kilograms of plastic materials from roads, rivers and beaches. The profit made from Social Plastic is being passed on to those most in need. Mothers in Haiti benefit in particular as well as children, who get the opportunity to go to school or seek medical help. “Working with Plastic Bank supports us in the implementation of our strategy to include more recycled plastic in our packaging. At the same time we are promoting a stable income for the local population,” explains Jens-Martin Schwärzler, management board member and Executive Vice President of Henkel Beauty Care. “Environmental consciousness is also gaining importance amongst consumers.” Last year, Henkel developed the partnership further: Alongside projects in Haiti, Indonesia and the Philippines, Henkel will be backing the construction of more than 400 Plastic Bank collection sites in Egypt. The company aims to use more than 600 tons of Social Plastic in its packaging in 2020 alone. Like Henkel, Aldi-Süd for example also cooperates with Plastic Bank. That way plastic waste no longer flows into the oceans and at the same time creates opportunities for people. The working partnership with Plastic Bank also compliments the activities of ’Million Chances’, an initiative by the brand Schwarzkopf, which empowers girls and women worldwide to create a positive future for themselves. Schwarzkopf has created opportunities for thousands of girls and women globally – from Croatia and Slovenia to China, India, Columbia and South Africa – to receive training or access education. •
Facts
In order to encourage the elimination of plastic waste production through recycling, Henkel has set itself ambitious targets: the company states that by 2025 all their pack-aging will be recyclable or reusable. Also the amount of new plastic from fossil sources will be reduced by 50 percent. Among other things, the proportion of recycled plastic in packaging for consumer goods products is to be increased to more than 30 percent. A great amount of product packaging is made of 100 per cent recycled plastic already. In 2019 a total of 200 tons of Social Plastic was processed for Henkel.
Words: Karolina Landowski
Pictures: PR