Plastic Bank Stops 2 Billion Plastic Bottles from Entering the Ocean, Partnership with SC Johnson Accounts for Half of the Total

RACINE, Wis., January 24, 2022 – Plastic Bank®, a social enterprise revolutionizing the global supply chain for recycled ocean-bound plastic, announced today it has stopped 2 billion plastic bottles from entering the ocean. Its global partnership with SC Johnson, an industry-leading manufacturer of household consumer brands such as Windex®, Mr Muscle® and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day®, has accounted 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,” said 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 of plastic that would have otherwise found its way into our oceans, as 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 is one of the world's most significant challenges. 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," said David Katz, Founder and CEO of Plastic Bank. "Our Heroes – SC Johnson, the collectors, other partners, branch owners, contributors and employees – are stewarding business, consumption, lives and the planet towards regeneration."

SC Johnson X Plastic Bank: Partnership Impact 

• 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.

About Plastic Bank

Plastic Bank® empowers the regenerative society. We are helping the world stop ocean plastic while improving the lives of collector communities. Plastic Bank builds ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities and reprocesses the materials for reintroduction into the global manufacturing supply chain. Collectors receive bonuses for the materials they collect, which helps them provide basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance. Plastic Bank's Alchemy™ blockchain platform secures the entire transaction and provides real-time data visualization – allowing for transparency, traceability, and rapid scalability. The collected material is reborn as Social Plastic®, which can be easily reintegrated into products and packaging as part of a closed-loop supply chain. Plastic Bank currently operates in Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Egypt. Learn more at plasticbank.com.