David Katz: Keeping Plastic Waste Out of the Oceans While Alleviating Poverty

David Katz is an environmentalist and entrepreneur who co-founded and is CEO of Plastic Bank, an innovative program designed to reduce the amount of plastic trash that finds its way into the planet’s oceans. At the same time, it helps alleviate the poverty in extremely poor countries. The company, which is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, currently has stores in Haiti, the Philippines, and Brazil, with more countries on the way.
 
Quote: “Reportedly 80 percent of ocean plastic is coming from those countries that have extreme poverty. And if you live in the grips of poverty, always concerned about food, or shelter, or sense of security, recycling is beyond your realm of imagination. And that is exactly why I created The Plastic Bank. We are the largest chain of stores for the ultra-poor, where everything in the store is available for purchase using plastic garbage.”
 
Sources: Wikipedia, Ted.com
 
Learn more about The Plastic Bank on Wikipedia. >>
 
Read a UN Environment Programme interview with David Katz. >>
 
Watch “The surprising solution to ocean plastic,” a Ted Talk by Daivd Katz [11:45]. >>
 
Photo: GreenBiz