Prevented Ocean Plastic™ is so proud to announce a major new milestone, having now prevented four billion plastic bottles from reaching the ocean.
The achievement represents more than 80,000 tonnes of plastic collected by people living and working in coastal communities around the world and recycled into high-quality, fully traceable recycled plastic for use in new packaging and products.
To put the scale of this progress into perspective, that is the equivalent weight of more than 500 blue whales or, if the bottles were placed end-to-end, the distance from the Earth to the Moon and back again, with room to spare.
The milestone marks the latest step forward for the Programme, which continues to expand responsible collection and recycling infrastructure in regions that have historically lacked formal waste management systems. By investing directly in collection centres, traceability systems and local recycling capacity, Prevented Ocean Plastic™ helps prevent pollution before it reaches waterways while creating value from discarded plastic through recycling.
And Prevented Ocean Plastic collects more than plastic bottles. Last year, we worked together with stakeholders throughout the supply chain to develop food-safe rPP, a European first for this type of plastic. This breakthrough means the collection of discarded single-use drinking cups could be properly incentivised, and the material can finally be recycled at scale, preventing it from reaching landfills and oceans. The initiative is expected to stop 500 million plastic cups from entering the ocean in its first year.
Since its inception, the Prevented Ocean Plastic Programme has worked alongside collectors, the world’s best recyclers, researchers, manufacturers and brand partners to build a scalable model for plastic collection and recycling in at-risk coastal regions. Plastic collected through the Programme is processed into recycled material that can be used in new packaging and products- from LIDL to LVMH to LUSH– helping to reduce demand for virgin plastic and support a more circular plastics economy.
As well as reducing the volume of plastic entering the environment, Prevented Ocean Plastic™ collection centres are designed to support a fairer and more inclusive recycling system by improving transparency, working conditions and opportunities throughout the value chain. The Programme’s approach demonstrates how environmental impact and social impact can be delivered together at scale.
Raffi Schieir, Founder of Prevented Ocean Plastic™, said:
“Reaching four billion bottles is an incredible milestone, but what this really represents is the collective effort of thousands of people throughout our growing franchise model who are working every day to prevent pollution and build a more circular future.”
About Prevented Ocean Plastic™: POP is high quality, compliant recycled plastic that has been collected from coastal communities at risk of ocean plastic pollution. Used by supermarkets and brands around the world, it meets regulatory health and safety standards, is traceable back to source and can be identified on-pack through its distinctive triangular logo. Prevented Ocean Plastic™ supply major manufacturing partners such as Groupe Guillin, Spectra Packaging, and Berry Global for offerings across multiple product categories, including food and drink, personal care, pet products and home cleaning. Prevented Ocean Plastic™ is an award-winning, three-time Earthshot Prize nominee, and has collected over 2.5 billion plastic bottles from where they don’t belong since 2020
