To mitigate the ocean plastic crisis we must move towards proper waste management. Every lever should work effectively from reduction to reuse to innovation. When the core elements of waste management are met, a huge leap towards a clean ocean will be made and human life will be improved in the process.

The traditional informal recycling supply chain in developing countries tends to be a very exploitative system. The waste pickers at the base of the supply chain face numerous challenges when trying to access fair market prices for the discarded plastics they collect.

The informal recycling economy is a fundamental component of plastic waste management. This report outlines how the informal actors in developing countries have successfully built businesses on the collection, trade and recycling of plastic waste.

This October, Andrew Almack ( CEO of Plastics For Change ) had the opportunity to speak at the Textile exchange conference in Washington DC. This Q&A session was hosted between Andrew Almack (A)  and Liesl Truscott (Q). 

Here are the top six factors inhibiting the circular economy in developing regions.  We’ve compiled these factors from listening to the members of the informal recycling economy. After all, in developing countries 80-90 percent of the recycling activities are informal.

In May 2016, Plastics for Change was hired by the Ocean Conservancy to conduct a landscape analysis of plastic pollution in Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippines. Our specific role was to and research business inclusive models for reducing ocean plastic leakage.

This year, Plastics for Change was recognized as a finalist for the SEED Awards in Delhi, India. The SEED Awards were established by the UNEP and UNDP to promote progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through eco-inclusive entrepreneurship.

Through Plastics for Change, I've had the opportunity to meet with dozens of global brands. The companies who are leading in sustainability are the companies who have found a way to integrate their sustainability efforts into their culture.

In the last ten years humanity has created more plastic than in all the previous years of civilization combined. Our consumption of plastic continues to grow, especially in developing markets where waste management infrastructure cannot keep up with consumption.