RACINE, Wis., October 28, 2018 – Today, SC Johnson is announcing a new partnership with Plastic Bank, one of the leading organizations working to reduce the global crisis of ocean plastic, to help increase recycling rates in impoverished communities across Indonesia while addressing the challenges of poverty.



Ocean plastic is a global crisis, with the equivalent of one dump truck load every minute entering the world’s oceans, mainly from Asian countries.¹ At the same time, many communities affected by plastic pollution face high levels of poverty.



“Our oceans need protecting. I applaud the Indonesian government’s pledge to provide $1 billion per year to reduce plastic pollution,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “Business, government and NGOs need to come together to take on this important issue. It’s critical that we take action to help stop the increasing amount of plastic leaking into our oceans.”



According to a 2015 report by Ocean Conservancy and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, five Asian countries – China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand – accounted for more than 55 percent of the plastic waste leaking into the ocean. Raising collection rates to an average of approximately 80 percent across just those five countries would reduce plastic-waste leakage into the ocean by approximately 23 percent.²



Indonesia has the world’s highest levels of marine biodiversity. Yet the wide variety of marine animals that live in and around its coral reefs – which help provide food security for millions – are at risk due to the high levels of plastic pollution. The country, which has been a home to SC Johnson operations for decades, has pledged up to $1 billion per year to reduce the amount of plastic and other pollution in its waters. It is targeting a 70 percent reduction in marine waste by 2025.³