Milestone highlights growing role of market-based plastic waste recovery as companies seek to address legacy plastic pollution alongside reduction efforts
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, July 23, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — PCX Markets, the global plastic responsibility platform, today announced that it has surpassed 534 million pounds (242 million kilograms) of plastic pollution diverted from nature through independently verified plastic credit projects spanning 16 countries and 54 recovery initiatives.
The milestone is equivalent to approximately 16 billion 15-gram plastic bottles, enough bottles laid end-to-end to circle the earth 82 times.
The achievement reflects the collective efforts of 54 recovery project partners, local communities, and hundreds of brands funding verified plastic recovery through plastic credits.
Since the 1950s, the world has produced more than 9 billion metric tons of plastic, yet only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Most plastic is landfilled, openly burned, or leaks into the environment, leaving billions of tons of legacy plastic requiring responsible management.
As Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations continue to expand globally, companies operating in regulated jurisdictions face growing compliance obligations, while others are taking voluntary action in response to customer, investor, and stakeholder expectations.
“The plastic crisis is measured in billions of tons, and solving it requires solutions that operate at comparable scale,” said Sebastian DiGrande, CEO of PCX Markets. “Companies must reduce plastic use, but they must also address the legacy plastic waste already impacting communities and ecosystems. Policy sets expectations, but markets mobilize the capital needed to build recovery infrastructure at scale. Surpassing half a billion pounds diverted demonstrates how verified plastic credits can help deliver measurable environmental and social impact.”
Expanding Global Recovery Infrastructure
Since 2022, PCX Markets has expanded its recovery network from four countries and 22 projects to 16 countries and 54 projects.
Projects supported through the PCX marketplace include ocean-bound plastic diversion initiatives in Southeast Asia, abandoned fishing gear collection in Patagonia, and community-based recovery programs across the Global South. Recovery projects span coastal, riverine, and urban environments where plastic leakage is greatest and waste management infrastructure remains limited.
All PCX Markets’ project partners meet stringent third-party verification standards, including alignment with Verra, PPRS, and Ocean Bound Plastic certification standards. Credits are issued through a transparent, audited registry designed to ensure traceability, accountability, and measurable impact.
A plastic credit represents the independently verified recovery and responsible processing of one metric ton of plastic waste. Companies purchase plastic credits to support sustainability goals, meet EPR regulations where applicable, and complement upstream reduction strategies. Revenue from credits funds the collection, transportation, and responsible processing of plastic waste in regions where waste management systems remain underdeveloped or underfunded.
Environmental Impact and Community Impact
Beyond environmental benefits, plastic recovery creates jobs and stronger livelihoods for waste workers, strengthens local collection and recycling systems, supports women-led enterprises, and directs investment into communities that often bear the greatest burden of plastic pollution while having the fewest resources to address it.
“Plastic pollution disproportionately affects communities with the least infrastructure,” said Nanette Medved-Po, Founder of PCX. “Plastic credits channel corporate capital into those communities, creating both environmental impact and social benefit. They are not a substitute for reduction, but they are an essential tool for addressing the legacy plastic already in the environment.”
Today, PCX Markets supports 54 recovery projects across 16 countries, helping companies translate plastic responsibility commitments into measurable environmental, social, and economic outcomes.
Read the full 2025 Impact Report for project stories, recovery data, and methodology.
About PCX Markets
PCX Markets is on a mission to build a future where no plastic ends up in nature. Our global plastics responsibility platform helps companies meet their sustainability goals and compliance requirements through upstream reduction consulting, packaging EPR compliance software, access to certified recycled resins (PCR), and recovery project impact through our transparent marketplace and registry.
A certified B Corp, PCX meets B Lab’s rigorous standards of accountability, transparency, and social and environmental impact. To date, we have funded the cleanup of over half a billion pounds (534 million pounds or 242 million kilograms) of plastic waste worldwide, contributing to a cleaner environment and stronger local communities.
Lise Murphy
PCX Markets
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