Establish confidence in the hydrosphere renewable plastic products

Every day there are 8 million pieces of plastic into the sea.Clear away the plastic waste in the oceans and rivers is one of the biggest environmental challenges we face.Need to clean up the huge, and need to breakthrough technology and a large number of resources.In addition, the plastic is only the first step to shore, after the new product and create value.This is not simply the garbage from water to land, but to implement a cyclic plastic in the future.These products to fund future cleaning tasks (i.e., the advanced technology) is also essential.

So far, however, also does not have a standard to help organize to establish the necessary trust, to ensure that the product of authenticity, source and amount of recycled plastic.Organization must be to build trust and transparency from the beginning of the value chain, and through the product itself and the stakeholders and customers to share the information.This requires a process validation, providing end-to-end trust, which claims that collected by the hydrosphere is indeed plastic products with this type of plastic.But, in a product or organization sustainability efforts and performance, even if is a very great contribution, may also is "secret" or it is difficult for credible way to share with customers.

In order to solve this problem, the ocean clean and plan to seek the aid of DNV, formulated a series of specific to from the oceans and rivers in the recycling of plastic chain of custody standard.Although Marine cleaning plan was the first to adopt the best practices, but any organization can apply for the standard and certification.

How to obtain certification

The public standard provides verification of the source of the hydrosphere plastic, authenticity and traceability chain (regulation).

Anyone wanting to get recycled plastic certification organization must first understand the requirements of this standard.On this basis, the organization must implement the compliance process.Before the start of the certification, organizations can choose the entire value chain or specific parts.Make clear requirement and structured methodology DNV in determining the hotspots to collect the necessary data.This can be used to verify the country of origin, and ensure that the integrity of the plastic in the whole value chain of mobile.Review work will be combined with traditional audit technology (physical review and visual inspection, verification of the mass balance) and digital audit technology (GPS location and mobile verification,;Verify the logistics route;Access control and remote cameras) and delivery.

In essence, the auditor will track plastic in many ways, from the initial access to material integrity first checks on the sea, to witness the bank processing, to track the plastic to verify its next link into the value chain of the actual operation.This can prove to build trust, make sure that its consumer purchases is the ocean or river made of plastic.Which makes the announcement about the ocean or river of plastic has finally been made into a new product of facts to prove.

Validation process to ensure that the collected waste plastic has complete traceability, consumer can query the authenticity of the products.

The first such standards

Best practice standard launch is designed and Marine cleaning plan share an idea and vision.The standard developed by DNV, make similar organization and its partners can adopt this process requirements.The standard is the first of such standards, it provides validation of waste plastic recycling process required for each phase of the minimum requirements.Starting from determine the location of the collecting waste plastic, plastic to use again, again into another new production process.A complete set of standards to support the economic model from linear to circular economy model transformation.

This standard is applicable to typical stages of value chain:

1. collect
2. transport
3. Recycling/processing/recovery
4. manufacturing
5. sales

It is based on three principles:

1. Principle 1: the organization has a management system, a comprehensive back along the chain can contrast material properties.
2. Principle 2: the requirement of traceability system implementation and application requires all participants in the supply chain, including: purchasing, receiving, storage, processing, packaging, labels, all phases of sales and delivery.
3. Principle 3: review within the scope of the material and product can be identified and isolated, their status can be traced at any stage in the process and validated.

The standard is based on DNV in business assurance, sustainability and traceability of experience and ability, through with ocean clean plan more extensive and in-depth research, understand and develop the best practices for waste plastic value chain.Standard finalized after a very comprehensive consultation process, including the main external stakeholders related to the standard model is verified.

Photo: The Ocean Cleanup