S for Solution

The next step in the BASE process is the ‘S’. This stands for ‘Solution’ and represents how we take action - day to day - through our recovery projects.

In the previous parts of this blog we looked at other aspects of rePurpose Global's BASE framework - if you've not seen Parts 1 and 2 that introduces BASE, please do take a look back (Part 1, Part 2).

Value chain for plastic

Every day, rePurpose Global's impact projects collect, transport, sort, and recover plastic waste. But there's not a singular approach to this. Each project is unique. The way it operates is based on baseline research and additionality modelling steps, and varies based on the local partnerships that have been built.

But broadly, project value chains involve:

• Collecting plastic waste
• Sorting and aggregating plastics (i.e. into polymers and categories) at a Material Recovery Facility (MRF)
• Transporting plastics to appropriate 'end destinations' e.g. recycling facilities

Below is an example of the solution for Project Paraíso de Ballenas in Colombia. It involves:

• Waste Collection: Collections from beaches and other hard-to-access areas along the Pacific Coast near Buenaventura, helping to protect Whale nurseries that sit off the coast.
• Sorting: Plastics are transported - sometimes by boat - to be sorted at the MRF into different plastic types.
• Recycling: PET and PP plastics are taken to a recycling facility in Cali where they are cleaned and recycled into plastic feedstock (the material used to make new plastic products)

The video extract below talks through some of the solution implementation in more detail.

How projects are run

So rePurpose Global's solutions fix broken value chains, and plastics are collected and recovered in different regions instead of polluting the environment.

But importantly, there are transparent and robust standards that guide the ways that projects are run. There are 3 key documents that guide this process.

1. The Verified Plastic Recovery Protocol - which sets out how projects can be created and run to a high standard: from baseline research right through to evaluation
2. The Impact Code - which ensures that the project doesn't operate in a bubble, and that positive impact on people and the environment is embedded in all aspects of the work
3. The rePurpose Audit and Assurance Protocol (rAAP) - which provides the technical details of 'how' the evaluation and assurance process runs

We'll give a quick intro to the first two here, with the rAAP covered in Part 4.

Verified Plastic Recovery Protocol

The Verified Plastic Recovery Protocol (VPRP) sets international standards for rePurpose Global's plastic recovery projects, and is a fundamental pillar of the rePurpose Global impact process.

But it offers more than that: it is a framework for any organization intending to invest in plastic action, for waste sector innovators seeking financial assistance, to auditors verifying the projects, and the broader plastic action ecosystem.

It establishes (or maybe 'enshrines') certain principles, mandating each project to demonstrate that it meets certain conditions related to additionality, measurability, material traceability, uniqueness, verifiability: environmental safeguards, and socio-economic benefit.

Each rePurpose Global project is evaluated against the VPRP. All projects have to be at least compliant (if not over and above!) throughout their project lifecycle. See Part 4 for more details on the evaluation process.

Social safeguards and the Impact Code

At the heart of impact creation lies intersectionality. The plastic waste crisis is not just an environmental disaster, it also profoundly affects people. And it disproportionately affects people in poorer countries, and more marginalized members of society.

That means when it comes to solution implementation we need to solve for humanitarian aspects of the plastic crisis too. With uplifting lives as part of our purpose, and mandated in the VPRP, rePurpose Global has developed a comprehensive protocol, the Impact Code (IC), to cover this.

The IC aims to elevatie social security standards across the entire waste recovery sector. It sets out ways for improving working conditions and ensuring adherence to international labor norms. This applies to all actors in the waste value chain, including informal and formal waste workers.

The IC draws from globally acknowledged standards and best practices, and was crafted in alignment with the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact. It goes beyond legal compliance to set out high levels ofethical expectations on a global scale. The IC's key principles include:

1. Social Responsibility and Safeguards: Prioritizing the socio-economic well-being of waste worker communities, upholding human rights, and promoting equality of opportunity; while ensuring projects do not negatively disrupt existing social and economic structures.
2. Environmental Responsibility: Commitment to minimizing environmental footprint and protecting the environment.
3. Business Integrity and Ethics: Upholding ethical conduct across all operations, requiring integrity in business relationships, sourcing, and operations.

It is all well and good having a document that sets high standards. Implementing and maintaining those standards is ongoing work. rePurpose Global does this for all impact projects by working with partners and providing ongoing support and handholding, including on documentation processes. Top-up training on the iC happens at annual ‘bootcamps’ for impact partners.

Through the IC, rePurpose Global is driving impactful change in the waste management sector, and also promoting social justice. Today the IC applies to projects on 4 continents, and directly impacts the lives of over 2000 waste workers worldwide.

Read more

Read BASE Part 4: Evaluation >>>

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Other parts of this blog are available here:

<<< Part 1: An introduction to BASE

<<< Part 2: Baseline and Additionality