The planet’s oceans are in crisis as plastic swirls about, killing marine life, altering ecosystems and entering our food system, and Pure Project isn’t just sitting around waiting for end times.
Pure Project is a small batch craft brewery with two locations in San Diego and another in Carlsbad, Calif. Pure Project’s mission is to build community and a reverence for beer as an agricultural product by staying true to its ethos of quality ingredients, sustainability and attention to detail.
Pure Project has long been known for reducing plastic waste through various on-site methods — methods such as utilizing used grain bags for trash bags, giant rubber bands instead of plastic wrap and asking patrons to bring in their own bags and coolers to transport beer as opposed to using plastic can holders. Pure also recently became one of the first breweries in California to implement the ocean safe can holders from E6pr, the first biodegradable and compostable holder of its kind (that we profiled here).
Pure Project is taking things a step further by partnering with Plastic Bank, a multinational organization whose mission is to “Stop ocean plastic by gathering a billion people together to monetize waste while improving lives.”
Yesterday, Dec. 17, Pure Project announced a partnership with Plastic Bank called Pounds for Pints. The concept is simple: For every pint of Murklands Pale Ale produced for Pure Project’s taprooms, Plastic Bank will prevent 2 pounds of ocean-bound plastic. For 2020, Pure Project has committed to preventing over 67,000 lbs of ocean-bound plastic and fighting the root cause of plastic pollution by alleviating poverty.
“This is a really special collaboration for us,” said Pure Project Cofounder Mat Robar. “In the beginning, when Pure Project was located in Costa Rica, my business partner, Jesse Pine, used to run an annual beach cleanup in Manuel Antonio that we called Pounds For Pints. We are humbled to now amplify the impact of that initial program by partnering with the inspirational organization, Plastic Bank, which has global reach and vision.”
Both organizations will use the hashtag #poundsforpints to help spread awareness for the initiative and encourage others to do so as well when enjoying a Murklands Pale Ale. Robar said they hope this collaboration will spark other Pounds For Pints initiatives with Plastic Bank across the United States and the world.
More about the super awesome Plastic Bank
Plastic Bank makes plastic and waste into a currency turning off the tap to fight ocean plastic and global poverty. Plastic Bank creates recycling ecosystems that ignite a Social Plastic Revolution, uniting and enrolling humanity for local action that creates global impact.
Plastic Bank branches act as convenience stores for the ultra poor, where everything can be purchased using plastic as money. Members can save the value and safely cash out when needed redeeming it for necessities such as cash, food, cooking fuel and solar powered cell phone charging etc. Their members can even unlock access to health insurance, education, career training and work placement programs for a life beyond recycling.
Plastic Bank’s recycling incentive programs are distributed and authenticated through the Plastic Bank app, which uses blockchain technology to provide the safest and most trusted means to deliver a globally scalable social impact. All plastic collected through the Social Plastic ecosystem is sorted, recycled and sold to companies for their manufacturing instead of using new plastics.
Plastic Bank operates in Haiti, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brazil and has recycled over 12 million lbs of ocean-bound plastic. With over 1 million lbs collected monthly as of September 2019 and upcoming expansions throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia, Plastic Bank is exponentially increasing the amount of ocean-bound plastic collected and the people impacted.
Jason Kennedy says
Nice concept but how does this plastic bank place prove that they are doing what they say they’re doing. Sounds like a bunch of fake marketing