Starboard Plastic Offset Program keeps expanding, creating more livelihoods and cleaning more beaches every year. Going into a new year we want to share a summary of 2022, as well as our plans and targets for 2023.
2022 was a great year for our Plastic Offset Program. Firstly, we launched two new chapters. One in beautiful Krabi, and one in currently troubled Myanmar, now creating livelihoods for 212 individuals in Thailand and Myanmar. Further, we collected 175 394 kg of plastic in the second half of 2022, contributing to the more than 500 000 KG that we have collected since 2018.
POP Statistics
KG of plastic waste collected
Thailand
Myanmar
Myanmar
Total
Number of Team Members
Thailand
Myanmar
Myanmar
Total
Going into 2023
New launches
2023 will be even greater. We start off by launching our second chapter in Myanmar already at the end of January. Additionally, we are in the process of starting up a chapter in Indonesia.
We now collect 1.4 KG of plastic per board instead of 1.1 KG. Why?
Plastic accumulation is growing exponentially. For every board we produce, our POP program cleans the average annual amount of plastic reaching the ocean per person. Until now, this number has been the shocking amount of 1.1 kg per person. This year though, we are following the dreary trend, upping the number to 1.4 kg. The combination of population growth and humans’ never-ending search for money and convenient short-term solutions, leaves us with an exponentially growing plastic problem. In 2021, GRID Arendal made an illustration showing where we are headed:
Quick POP facts
• 10-12 cleanups per week
• 232 team members
• ~75% plastic, 25% other waste
• 5 chapters across 2 countries
• More to come
Starboard’s Plastic Offset Program launched in Thailand in 2018 with 24 collectors. Since then, we have collected more than 500 000 kg of beach plastic waste. Our POP teams focus on beaches with a lack of waste management, thus generally over-flooded with waste. A large amount of this waste is ocean plastics frequently being washed in and out by the tide. This often leaves our teams with only a short time slot before the waste will be washed out again. Therefore, our collectors sometimes head out at night time to collect as much waste as possible.
Verification with VERRA
Since Starboards’ Plastic Offset Program started in 2018, our teams have collected more than 400 000 kg of plastic waste from beaches in Thailand in Myanmar. Continuously, we focus on areas that would not otherwise be cleaned, generally due to a lack of waste management. In other words, we have prevented almost half a million kg of plastic waste from entering our valuable oceans, polluting and killing marine habitats and inhabitants. and habitats.
Changing Plastic Policy – Project
Our Plastic Offset Program is directed at the downstream part of the plastic cycle, cleaning up a mess already made. Collecting ocean beach waste and creating hundreds of livelihoods for people who might struggle otherwise is a great initiative. Although, lately we realised that this is still not enough. To create a real change, we need to focus on the source of the plastic problem, aiming our attention at the plastic tap. Therefore, we are now working on influencing Single-Use Plastic Policy, starting with Thailand. Eventually, we hope our project contributes to legislation that will prevent waste from ending up on our beaches and in the ocean in the first place. Learn more about the Plastic Life Cycle in this video of Trash Hero World.
Some simple Eco Challenges for you
- Refill your home products.
- Locate your closest bulk store.
- Bring reusable containers.
- Refill surface cleaners, dish wash, laundry, hand and body soaps, shampoos, toothpaste and others.
- This way you prevent a great amount of packaging waste, as well as toxins and microplastics within the majority of these products- A measure healthier for both you and the planet.
- Challenge your workplace and home.
- Work to remove any single-use plastics.
- Set up a recycling station for your waste.
- Commute together.
- Make your events more eco.
Amazing Mangrove news
Our customers are responsible for planting 2 million mangroves in Myanmar!
Furthermore, Worldview International Foundation will have 100 million trees in the ground by the end of 2023, drawing down 60 million tons of CO2.
