In doing so, Chase Plastics will aim to ensure that recovered ocean LDPE is recycled so that it can usefully contribute to the Circular Economy. Once recycled, the resultant rPE will be available to purchase directly from Chase Plastics or via Summit Systems who will also distribute the product.
For three years Ocean Integrity has worked with Summit Systems to develop a feasible process for the recovery of ocean plastics. Together they are dedicated to the task of eliminating plastics from the oceans and ensuring that 100% of recovered plastics are recycled and do not end up in landfill or incineration. Plastics are collected from the oceans using Ocean Integrity’s patented MPEDs – Micro Plastic Elimination Devices - that aim to retrieve microplastics down to 65 microns. Indigenous fishermen are paid 3 to 4 times above minimum wage to collect plastics using MPEDs in many regions of the world. Recently, in just 6 hours, one MPED collected 105 tonnes of waste, 87 tonnes of which was plastic, from a river in the Greater Jakarta region.
Ocean Integrity’s activities are verified by independent auditors. Details of all plastic collections – including collector ID, location coordinates, weight of plastic collected, truck registration and how the plastic was recycled - are securely logged onto Ocean Integrity’s official app to ensure transparency and accountability.
Additionally, Ocean Integrity adheres to the Blue Ocean Program which focuses on all collected plastic being recycled and all collection efforts benefitting indigenous communities.
Speaking of the collaboration, David Harris, Chairman of Chase Plastics said: “Initiatives like this demonstrate Sustainability in action. Aside from the environmental benefits, we are supporting a scheme that benefits indigenous communities through deploying traditional fishing skills to help stimulate local economies.
Captain Kieran Kelly, Managing Director of Ocean Integrity commented: “We are delighted to have secured the support and recycling expertise of Chase Plastics. Our plastic recovery operation is going from strength to strength, not only in removing thousands of tonnes from the oceans, but importantly in the associated reduction of the global carbon footprint and the preservation of plankton and other marine life.”
