Bantam Materials boosts intercontinental recycling infrastructure with collection center installments

16 Jun 2023 --- Bantam Materials, the UK-based supplier of Prevented Ocean Plastic, has announced it will open 25 Collection Centres by 2025 in Southeast Asia, South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean region. 

The project aims to develop efficient waste management where infrastructure is currently lacking, support a circular economy on plastic and create reliable income opportunities with dignified working conditions for local people. It will furthermore facilitate cleaning up the environment and provide certified and traceable premium quality recycled plastic to global markets, says the supplier. 

Raffi Schieir, director of Prevented Ocean Plastic, says: “At a time when there’s a lot of negative talk about the future of the planet, it’s good to be doing something that has an immediate, positive impact on people and their local communities. By choosing recycled and looking for the Prevented Ocean Plastic logo, we can all support responsible sourcing through these tangible, brick-and-mortar builds.” 

The plastic recycling company explains that 20 centers will be high-capacity collection centers capable of processing 100 metric tons of discarded plastic waste per month, and five will be bigger “aggregation centers” able to process up to 500 metric tons per month. 

By 2025, Prevented Ocean Plastic expects to collect 54,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year across the 25 centers, the equivalent weight of 270 blue whales. The 25 centers will also support approximately 1,000 jobs and create income opportunities for more bottle collectors in the informal waste sector.

The first collection center was opened earlier this month in Semarang, Indonesia.Fishing out ocean plastic
Indonesia is a country of 17,000 islands and no drinkable water from the tap, which, along with other factors, contributes to the country being ranked the number two source of ocean plastic pollution, highlights the company.

Each new center will supply the collected material to a recycler supported by the Prevented Ocean Plastic Standards, which were developed in accordance with the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) base code and follow the Code of Good Practice developed by ISEAL and Bantam Materials’ Good Manufacturing Practices and best-in-class traceability process. 

Created in consultation with over 70 leading businesses, Prevent Ocean Plastic is marketed as “industry’s most comprehensive set of standards and ensures best-practice, safe and dignified working conditions.” 

The first collection center was opened earlier this month in Semarang, Indonesia. The opening resulted from a partnership between the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Prevented Ocean Plastic Southeast Asia. 

Over half of the new collection centers will be installed in new buildings, supported by various partners, including USAID, who work with Prevented Ocean Plastic Southeast Asia. The remaining centers will enhance existing sites’ infrastructure alongside local partners.

Prevented Ocean Plastic says it is committed to cleaning, elevating, and building worldwide. Schieir concludes: “Using our repeatable Prevented Ocean Plastic model, there is no limit to what we can achieve. In the future, we would love 25 to become 50 and 50 to become 100 centers, addressing ocean plastic pollution at scale as we continue to grow.”

Edited by Natalie Schwertheim