CLEAN OCEANS

Why clean-up plastic waste?

We need to clean up and divert waste plastic because it creates major problems for our environment, wildlife, and even our health. When plastic isn’t properly managed, it often ends up in our oceans, rivers, and on land. This pollution is dangerous because animals can get caught in plastic or eat it by mistake, leading to injury or death. Overtime, plastic breaks down into tiny pieces called microplastics, which can pollute water and soil and even end up in the food we eat.

 

Plastic waste also releases harmful chemicals as it slowly degrades, which can contaminate our environment and affect the health of both wildlife and humans.

 

By cleaning up and redirecting plastic waste, we can reduce these harmful effects. This not only helps protect animals and ecosystems but also keeps our water and soil cleaner. Diverting plastic waste also supports recycling and reuse, which means less new plastic needs to be made. This helps us move towards a more sustainable way of living, with less pollution and a healthier planet for everyone.

“One of the most significantenvironmental crises that we face is the contamination of the natural world bywaste, particularly by plastic. It’s heartbreaking to see the impact it’shaving on our oceans and the creatures that live in them".

Sir David Attenborough

Our approach

 

 

Coova has a hand-picked portfolio of projects that clean-up plastics.  It has been carefully put together to ensure it effectively addresses the impact of plastic pollution. 

 

We also consider the cost per ton of plastic clean-up for each project.  By mixing different projects, we can average out the costs to make the portfolio more affordable while maintaining a focus on high-impact and sustainable projects.  For example, projects that offer long-term solutions (e.g. recycling into durable products) are generally more valuable.

 

This means that everyone can actively participate in tackling plastic pollution by supporting projects that clean-up plastic across our planet.  

 

 

Each project we support in our portfolio is carefully evaluated:

 

 

Impact: how effectively the project removes or diverts plastic and the scale of the impact.

 

Verification Standards: we choose projects that are registered under the most transparent and rigorous plastic credit standards available today (e.g. PPRS, PWRS or OBP). These organisations certify that projects are legitimate,measurable, and result in real impact.

 

Permanence: we review the likelihood that the plastic removed will stay out the environment permanently.

 

Co-Benefits: we consider additional benefits that projects may offer, such as support for behavior change, and opportunities for women in the circular economy.

 

We continually monitor the performance of the projects within the portfolio, adjusting as needed to ensure the portfolio remains balanced, cost-effective, and impactful.