Prevented Ocean Plastic Africa launches to fight plastic waste pollution in North Africa

EGYPT – Prevented Ocean Plastic has expanded into the African continent in a bid to help the entire global program accelerate and collect its next billion ocean-bound plastics over the next 18 months.

The expansion will save up to 5,000 tonnes of plastic a year – or 220 million bottles – from entering the ocean from pollution in two areas in Africa, including the Swahili Coast and where the Nile meets the Mediterranean.

Prevented Ocean Plastic Africa will be a partnership with leading manufacturer Bariq, to create fully traceable, certified, quality recycled plastic.

Using a proven model, underpinned with rigorous standards, the expansion of the program into Africa will mean the global program will accelerate to stop over a billion bottles – enough to fill one of the great pyramids – from entering the world’s oceans in the next eighteen months.

Prevented Ocean Plastic Africa is a commercial partnership between Bantam Materials, Bariq and infrastructure experts supporting the region.

The program will build infrastructure to collect plastic from areas with little or no current recycling infrastructure for expert, food-safe processing in North Africa.

The program was officially launched in Cairo where some of the world’s best recyclers came together to ratify and sign up to Prevented Ocean Plastic’s new Standards.

The newly signed Prevented Ocean Plastic Standards will underpin all the work of the new African program.

The program is already successfully operating in South East Asia (supported by USAID), Latin America and the Mediterranean region using the same model that was used the test the new Standards.

These go beyond regulatory and compliance measures to set an industry-leading standard to minimize environmental impact, ensure a quality product and improve worker conditions.

They were developed in accordance with ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) base code and follow the Code of Good Practice developed by ISEAL, as well as Bantam Materials’ Good Manufacturing Practices and best-in-class traceability.

Created in consultation with over 70 leading businesses, they were designed to meet the needs of the world’s best recyclers.

In addition, they will set the rules, guidelines and characteristics for organizations participating in the Prevented Ocean Plastic Africa program and have been agreed to by some of the best recyclers globally.

Raffi Schieir, Director of Bantam Materials said: “We’re proud to be able to launch this transformative program in Africa.

“As we begin COP27, and with G20 nearly upon us, we’re urging the sector, regulators and officials to come and meet with us to learn more about what’s possible.

“Together, with a relatively small investment, we can use the Prevented Ocean Plastic model to scale up the production of our award-winning product all while creating more jobs and stimulating local communities.”

Building for the infrastructure of the program is already underway, with material set to join the supply chain in Q1 of 2023.

It will create award-winning, quality and fully traceable plastic for brands in Europe and North America, including Lidl and Sainsburys.

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