The Plastic Bank

The Plastic Bank is a social enterprise turning plastic waste into a currency that can be exchanged to help lift people out of poverty. We provide a social impact in areas with high amounts of poverty and plastic pollution by setting up exchange and recycling centers. We create a ladder of opportunity for the world’s poor by providing access to income, education and 3D printing services. The exchange process for our recycled Social Plastic™ improves the life of a person in need. Our goal is to lead the movement towards the global demand for the use of Social Plastic™ in eco-friendly products. The higher the demand for Social Plastic™, the more of an impact we can make on the lives of the world's poor. In May 2014 our social enterprise made an impact with Social Plastic™ and used it to print the world’s first item from recycled ocean plastic. The plastic was removed from the ocean and shorelines of Alaska and BC through our Plastics for Change Project. The goal of the project was to create an eco-friendly 3D printing filament from recycled ocean debris. Our goal is to empower the world’s poor with 3D printing. We are now one step close to creating eco-friendly plastic at every location. Our end in mind is to recycle all of the 3D printing materials we use. This will allow people to collect the raw materials to 3D print. Our eco-friendly 3D printing filament won the 2013 RCBC Innovation Award. The founder of The Plastic Bank, David Katz, was named 2013 Global Citizen of the Year. Over the last year The Plastic Bank and our Social Plastic™ movement were featured in over 75 interviews from 25 countries. Expect to see updates on our progress and features in the media. Join our Social Plastic™ movement to start making a positive social impact.