The idea of changing the world can be overwhelming
"Are you full of doubt and confusion? Don't know how, when and where to start? But the secret is to just start. You don't need to know everything, you just need to commit to becoming the person who can make a difference." This is what the environmental organization PlasticBank writes on the occasion of its 10th anniversary.
"It is the courage and the attempt that makes us the change, the goal, the solution, the movement. It's about all of us coming together to play our part in the one story of life. The sooner each and every one of us becomes that, the better the story will be for all of us."
Over the past ten years, the organization has prevented more than 80 million kilograms of plastic from entering the ocean, the equivalent of 4 billion plastic bottles. This achievement is a collective effort by all members of the collection community, branch owners, processors, partners and employees - Humans of Social Recycling from around the world.
But this is just the beginning...
As Plastic Bank celebrates its 10th anniversary, the mission is evolving from "turning off the tap on ocean plastic" to a broader and deeper movement that empowers people to make the change they want to see in our world. In the pursuit of ocean stewardship, the initiators have recognized that recycling must be done by people. Donations and the purchase of recycled materials alone will not solve the plastic pollution crisis. Humanity needs a lasting and persistent change in behavior that leads us to be mindful when buying, using and disposing of recycled materials.
"Our 10th anniversary marks the beginning of a new era in which we become the Humans of Social Recycling - people who believe that creating a world without waste starts with us. A future where no material is wasted and no human being is wasteful. A future where there is no plastic in the ocean and no poverty. A future in which all people can flourish",
