Technology
Working in a circular economy to solve the ocean plastic pollution problem
Did you know that over 80% of marine plastics come from land? This is because rivers are a major pathway for waste from inland and coastal areas to reach the oceans. While this is a global problem, communities without effective waste-collection systems are most likely to contribute to plastic pollution. With its fast-growing population, Asia is home to 15 of the 20 most contaminated rivers in the world. As a result, 86% of river-borne plastic waste that ends up in the oceans comes from this continent.
To address this issue, we operate in India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Ghana. Our goal over the next eight years is to set up 500 RiverRecycle cleaning and recycling points along the most polluted rivers. By adopting a circular economy approach, we can cut the amount of plastic entering the oceans from rivers by more than half, with relief and social improvement for communities hosting our solution.