MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 04/24 www.petpla.net 24 The Prevented Ocean Plastic Programme Plastic collected in coastal areas Prevented Ocean Plastic is a ground-up, vertically-integrated, fully certified recycled plastic supply chain solution, - connected from first collector to final product - that works at the scale required by industry with quality, traceability, and compliance. The brand is built by a small but formidable team working in offices on Richmond Green in London. The material, supplied by Bantam Materials UK Ltd, is high-quality recycled plastic collected from coastal areas at risk of ocean plastic pollution. The Prevented Ocean Plastic Programme offers an ongoing supply of this material while supporting local communities in the regions it sources from and driving long-term environmental solutions. Bantam has been a global supplier of recycled materials since 2011, successfully proving that sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive principles. In 2019, the team at Bantam recognised the need for a recycled plastics programme that specifically tackled the ocean plastic problem while building infrastructure, generating jobs, creating opportunities for brands to make a better plastic choice, and offering consumers a tangible, traceable alternative to virgin plastic. Since then, the programme has incentivised the collection of waste plastic around the world. This plastic is delivered to collection centres where it is sorted, cleaned, and ready to be recycled into new products with full traceability back to its coastline of collection. Quality is key Inside collection centres waste is hand-sorted - with caps, labels, and all other contaminants removed. It is then pressed into 99% PET bottle bales, exceeding regulatory requirements. By incentivising recyclers and collectors, the programme proves it is possible to encourage best-practices to ensure high-quality recycled material. Due to a lack of standards specific to the ocean-bound plastic supply chain, Prevented Ocean Plastic formalised their own. These look at practical fit-for-business practices, alongside internationally recognised ethical, social, and environmental trading requirements. The programme audits and then supports some of the world’s best informal recyclers to develop recycling infrastructure in coastal regions that have never had it before, which then operates to these elevated standards. Prevented Ocean Plastic lead the transformation of their industry and the building of a positive, transparent circular economy where everyone is respected. The programme has helped brands around the world, from Lidl to Louis Vuitton, meet their sustainability targets. Prevented Ocean Plastic material has now been included in almost 500 products across multiple categories, including fish, poultry, soft fruits, pet food, personal care, and home cleaning. In 2023, the National Health Service (NHS) in UK started using the material in some home testing kits. Prevented Ocean Plastic is built on a strategy of credibility first. The team is focused on a mission to recycle, clean, build and elevate, but will always welcome recognition for the Programme’s progress and achievements. In 2020, Prevented Ocean Plastic was part of the Retail Industry Awards ‘Sustainable Initiative of the Year’ winning entry in association with Lidl supermarket. In 2021, Bantam Materials UK Ltd. became the first recycled plastic supplier to join the Ethical Trading Initiative. They are the first recycled plastic business to be accepted to the leading alliance of companies, trade unions and NGOs that promotes respect for workers’ rights around the globe. In July 2022, USAID partnered with Prevented Ocean Plastic to open a centre in Indonesia. Another site, a direct result of an ongoing partnership with Singapore-based investment management firm Circulate Capital, opened in North Jakarta last October. In 2023, Prevented Ocean Plastic won a Zero Waste Award, and was invited to the Houses of Parliament to receive a Green World Award for commitment to environmental best practice. Also in 2023, the British Plastics Federation highlighted Prevented Ocean Plastic at the top of their list of innovations in plastics for the year. Prevented Ocean Plastic was an official nominee for the 2023 Earthshot Prize. More that can be done Last year, Prevented Ocean Plastic announced an ambitious new mission to open 25 new collection centres Sold at Lidl, plastic packaging made out of Prevented Ocean Plastic material.
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