Acer partners with Plastic Bank to reroute ocean-bound waste in Southeast Asia

30 Apr 2024 --- Acer has partnered with Plastic Bank to collect and recycle at least 50 tons of “ocean-bound” plastic this year through its community of collectors in Southeast Asia.

The “Impact Program Partnership” with Plastic Bank is projected to prevent more than 2.5 million plastic bottles from entering Southeast Asia’s ocean and support underdeveloped coastal communities. 

Canada-based social enterprise Plastic Bank builds recycling ecosystems and creates livelihood opportunities in vulnerable coastal areas. Members bring their collected plastic to Plastic Bank collection branches in exchange for the local market price of the gathered material and bonuses that help provide additional income and access to social benefits, like meal vouchers, health insurance and more.

“Acer’s collaboration with Plastic Bank supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 for no poverty, SDG 8 for decent work and economic growth, SDG 12 for responsible consumption and production, SDG 14 for life below water and SDG 17 for partnership for the goals,” says the company.

“Acer’s ESG goals also include adapting 20-30% PCR plastic content in computers and displays by 2025 and working toward net-zero emissions by 2050.” 

The tech giant has been incorporating PCR versions of plastic used in electronic consumer products with its Vero line and has reinforced its commitment to carbon neutrality with the launch of its first carbon-neutral PC, the Acer Aspire Vero 16.

Acer’s collaboration with Plastic Bank supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.“Acer will continue to evolve with the industry and changing lifestyles by promoting innovative and eco-conscious solutions for the long-term sustainability of its operations and the environment,” it says.

Plastic waste as currency
Plastic Bank is a for-profit organization that collects plastic from coastal communities and returns it to companies committed to using recycled materials in their packaging. This approach allows consumers to play a role in poverty reduction and environmental preservation.

SIG, alongside Plastic Bank and the German development agency, recently unveiled a project leveraging blockchain technology to address Egypt’s packaging pollution and bolster the livelihoods of local waste collectors. Over the next three years, the partners endeavor to collect 700 metric tons of beverage cartons and uplift the lives of approximately 1,000 local waste collectors.

Furthermore, Horus Pharma, a French laboratory for ophthalmology and preservative-free products designed to facilitate eye and eyelid health, extended its partnership with Plastic Bank to offset its plastic footprint and tackle pollution in the Mediterranean. 

The goal is to recycle nearly 300 metric tons of pharmaceutical plastic waste, the equivalent of 15 million plastic bottles, which will be collected from Mediterranean shores by 2025 via Plastic Bank’s collection center in Egypt.

Packaging Insights also spoke to Plastic Bank’s founder and chairman David Katz at London Packaging Week 2023. He shed light on the social enterprise’s mission to create a wide-scale circular economy for materials while improving the livelihoods of impoverished regions. 

By Radhika Sikaria