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Align with best practice to certify the source and authenticity (Chain of Custody) of abandoned plastic and build trust in new products made from reclaimed plastic.
The problem of plastic garbage in our hydrosphere (oceans, rivers and lakes) is massive. Solving it requires ground-breaking technologies, significant effort and resources. Moreover, extracting plastic from oceans and rivers is only the first step in addressing one of the biggest threats to our world’s waters. There are currently trillions of pieces of plastic in our oceans and at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year and make up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. Success hinges on the ability to extract more plastic at a greater scale and higher speed.
DNV’s Chain of Custody Standard for Plastics retrieved in the Hydrosphere sets forth requirements to assure the traceability and integrity of reclaimed plastic from any body of water. The product certification provides proof of compliance. Organizations can share the resources of the material with confidence and demonstrate that it has not been mixed with any other components after extraction from a specific location.
The standard covers three main components:
The standard has been developed in partnership with The Ocean Cleanup, the first to apply it and seek certification for its reclaimed plastic from The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. However, the standard is public and can be followed by any organization retrieving plastic from the hydrosphere, i.e. oceans, rivers or lakes.
When an organization has implemented the appropriate processes to meet the standard’s criteria and agreed scope for its extracted plastic, DNV as an independent third party can certify the plastic. This product certification provides proof that the reclaimed plastic comes from the specific body of water indicated, has not been mixed with other materials, and is the actual material used in a new product, if this is its final purpose.
To trace the plastic’s source and assure material integrity, the scope covers the entire value chain and life cycle:
Based upon the location and value chain complexity, DNV auditors will mix physical audits, visual inspection and digital tools to collect the data needed to certify the traceability and authenticity of the reclaimed plastic.
Photo: The Ocean Cleanup