World leading assurance and risk management company DNV GL released the first ever traceability standard in 2020 to verify the authenticity and origin of recovered ocean and river plastic. ReSea Project, a Danish company cleaning rivers and oceans in Indonesia, is the second organization in the world to be certified to the standard, offering the highest level of traceability of plastic removed from the hydrosphere.
Copenhagen, Denmark – February 22, 2021 – ReSea Project, a Danish company with a community-driven solution to remove plastic from oceans and rivers, is the second organization in the world to be certified after a new international standard by world-leading assurance and risk management company DNV GL, to ensure the highest level of traceability of plastic recovered from oceans and rivers. The certification is an important step of the continued operations and ambitions of scaling the cleanup efforts in Indonesia, the world’s second-largest contributor to ocean plastic pollution.
“The impact of our cleanup is solely dependent on companies funding our mission. Choosing DNV GL and completing the certification is an important milestone for our continuous operations, as it will provide the trust and certainty needed to support us, enabling us to extract plastic at a greater scale. Something that is crucial in the efforts against the ocean plastic crisis”, says Ann Sofie Gade, Head of Business Development at ReSea Project.
The amount of plastic waste flowing into the oceans is rising and has only gone worse during the global pandemic with a recurrent reliance and consumption of single-use plastic. Solving the ocean plastic crisis requires significant efforts and solutions on multiple levels to both recover the huge amounts already out there and prevent more plastic from flowing into the ocean.
“There is a growing market need to provide trust and transparency in claims. An independent third party like us verifies the origin and traceability of recovered plastic against established requirements in the standard. Certification of the ReSea Project’s traceability system assures transparency of its entire plastic collection process,” says Antonio Astone, Global Service Manager Assurance and Supply Chain in DNV GL.
Full traceability
To trace the entire collection journey of the plastic from the extraction point, sorting the plastic, and the onwards journey until delivery at a local waste bank, the ToolChain platform by VeChain is used. It ensures a digital tracking system based on blockchain technology that secures real-time data and tracks all steps within the scope of certification. This allows DNV GL to digitally monitor and audit all plastic collections from anywhere in the world at all times and notifies both parties if any deviations require attention.
The high level of traceability provides proof of the plastic’s source and authenticity certified by an independent third party and allows anyone to trace the plastic back to its extraction point and view its onwards journey to the waste bank. It creates a level of transparency into the collection process that enables partners to trust that their involvement really helps make an ocean or river cleaner from plastic waste.
Cleanup solution with social impact
DNV GL’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. ReSea Project is tackling the ocean plastic crisis with its community-driven solution where people in local communities in Indonesia, often characterized by poor waste management and low-income, are employed to remove plastic waste from rivers and oceans.
”The certification verifies the plastic extraction and quantities, which helps ensure fair compensation to the cleanup team and provides transparency into the collection process, ” says Antonio Astone, Global service manager Assurance and Supply Chain in DNV GL.
Transparency is necessary to advance efforts
The chain of custody standard by DNV GL is public and available to any organization for application and certification. The standard also expresses the need for more transparency in the market where many solutions claim to give back to the environment: “Our operations and impact relies on the support and means we get from companies.
Regardless of what environmental difference initiatives are claiming to make, transparency is key to make an impact. By choosing DNV GL to verify our cleanup efforts we couldn’t be more certain that it will positively contribute to our purpose and advance our mission of tackling ocean plastic pollution”, says Ann Sofie Gade, Head of Business Development at ReSea Project.
About ReSea Project
ReSea Project is on a mission to put an end to the ocean plastic crisis and make waves beyond the sea we operate in. Our cleanup solution is community-driven, meaning we employ people in local communities to recover the plastic that’s polluting oceans and rivers. This contributes to better living conditions for those removing the plastic and their families, and it helps to raise awareness to stop plastic pollution at its source.
We founded ReSea Project on the belief that companies working together have the force to accelerate the efforts needed to solve the biggest threat to our ocean: Plastic. With companies supporting our cleanup efforts we are creating a global movement enabling us to advance our operations to places with inadequate waste management and poverty, and inspire people, governments, and companies to protect and restore the heart of the planet.
Together. For a plastic-free ocean.
About DNV GL
DNV GL is a leading provider of risk management and quality assurance services and a global leader in certifying companies’ management systems, products, and supply chains across many industries, including food and beverage. We combine technical, digital and industry expertise to help companies manage their most critical risks, demonstrate compliance with regulations and standards, and empower decisions and actions. Our integrated, digital solutions allow companies and trade partners to efficiently achieve high supply chain integrity.
With origins stretching back to 1864 and operations in more than 100 countries, we partner with our customers to build sustainable business performance and create stakeholder trust across all types of industries. Our experts are dedicated to helping customers make the world safer, smarter, and greener.
