Sustainability October 02, 2023
Drinkware Supplier Nearing Goal To Keep 1 Billion Bottles’ Worth of Plastic From Oceans
Ocean Bottle, which funds the collection of ocean-bound plastic with each purchase, hopes to reach the milestone by the end of December.
Drinkware supplier Ocean Bottle (asi/74713) is making waves in the fight against ocean-bound plastic.
For every Ocean Bottle purchased, this U.K.-headquartered B Corp funds the collection of the equivalent of 1,000 bottles worth of ocean-bound plastic, partnering with the organizations Plastic Bank, Plastics for Change, and rePurpose to help set up recycling infrastructure in coastal communities around the world with high levels of plastic pollution.
To date, the supplier says it has successfully collected more than 848.3 million bottles’ worth of ocean-bound plastic and is projecting that it will reach 1 billion bottles by the end of December. On its website, Ocean Bottle notes an ambitious goal to collect 7 billion bottles’ worth of plastic by 2025.
“Since Ocean Bottle’s inception, we’ve always said we are an impact company first and a reusable bottle brand second,” co-founders Nick Doman and Will Pearson noted in their 2022 impact report.
Thanks to its plastic collection partners, Ocean Bottle says it’s able to have a positive effect on the environment – and to tackle social issues as well.
Recent initiatives include a new material collection facility established in Kerala, India, to boost the local sorting of waste, which reduces the need to transport it to distant recycling centers. “This initiative not only aids in the reduction of carbon emissions but also allows local collectors to earn additional income by facilitating the acceptance of various plastic types at the local level,” Ocean Bottle notes.
In Manila, Philippines, Ocean Bottle partner Plastic Bank expanded operations to a new island in the archipelago: Coron. As a gesture of goodwill, Plastic Bank distributed bags of rice to the local population and provided accident insurance to plastic collection members to help enhance community well-being.
In East Java, a province of Indonesia, Plastic Bank also is collaborating with seven new schools to increase awareness and education on waste management. The schools will serve as additional collection points facilitating the recycling process of ocean-bound plastic.
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