Voya collaborates with Plastic Bank

Organic beauty brand Voya is partnering with environmental group Plastic Bank to suppoprt its mission to stop plastic entering the world’s oceans.

The equivalent of one rubbish truck full of plastic currently enters the world’s oceans every minute – if plastic pollution carries on at this rate, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

Plastic Bank is a social enterprise with ethical plastic collection branches in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia and the Philippines – all within 50km of coastlines and waterways.

Supporting social change

Plastic Bank members gather plastic directly from local beaches, riverbanks, neighbourhoods and households, then exchange this waste at local collection branches for secure income and life-improving benefits including access to health, work and life insurance, social assistance, digital connectivity, and fintech services.

The collected plastic is reprocessed turned into Social Plastic feedstock, which is used in the manufacturing of products and packaging, helping to give new life to old plastic.

Globally-recognised innovators

Over the next two years, Voya pledges to stop the equivalent of over two million single-use plastic bottles from entering the ocean in collaboration with Plastic Bank. This is equivalent to over 45,000kg of plastic and means that for every product sold, Voya will help prevent three plastic bottles from entering the ocean.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Plastic Bank, globally recognised as innovators in plastic recycling – we hope to make a measurable environmental and social difference through our partnership,” said Voya managing director Mark Walton.

A family-owned brand, Voya has a history of leading on sustainability initiatives, including sustainable seaweed harvesting on the west coast of Ireland for its seaweed-based facial and body products. It also has partnerships with Seal Rescue Ireland and the Soil Association, and offsets its carbon emissions to fund the restoration of the rainforest with the World Land Trust.

Since the brand’s inception in 2006, founders Mark and Kira Walton have fostered the belief that “there must be a better way”, and Voya says it continuously seeks to improve its eco-efforts.