Knowledge Bank | Plastic Units

Featured

What are plastic credits?

Plastic credits are certified units representing one kilogram of plastic waste collected or diverted from the environment. This explainer covers how they work, who issues them, and why the voluntary market is projected to reach $5 billion by 2030.

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Key Takeaways

→One plastic credit = one kilogram of plastic collected, recycled, or diverted from a high-risk waste stream, as verified by an accredited third party.
→Verra's Plastic Waste Reduction Standard (2021) is the most institutionally rigorous framework, distinguishing between collection and recycling credit types.
→Key market actors include Verra, rePurpose Global, CleanHub, Prevented Ocean Plastic, and Plastic Bank.
→Plastic credits differ from carbon credits in that they address terrestrial and aquatic pollution rather than atmospheric sequestration, and operate on annual vintage cycles.
→The voluntary market is estimated between $500M and $1B in 2025, with projections of $5B+ by 2030 driven by EPR legislation and FMCG brand commitments.

4 min read · 1 Jul 2025

All Articles

guide

How to measure your plastic footprint

Accurate plastic footprint measurement is the foundation of any credible reduction or offset strategy — and increasingly a regulatory requirement under CSRD and EPR frameworks. This guide covers scope definitions, methodologies, tools, and common mistakes to avoid.

5 min · 20 Jun 2025Read →

explainer

Plastic neutrality vs. plastic-free

Plastic-free, plastic neutral, and plastic negative are distinct commitments with different implications for action, verification, and the legal claims brands can make. This explainer covers what each means, the regulatory landscape, and how to avoid greenwashing risk.

5 min · 15 Jun 2025Read →

research

The plastic credits market: structure and price discovery

An analysis of how the voluntary and compliance plastic credit market is structured — who generates credits, who buys them, how prices are set, and what the 2025 regulatory pipeline means for market growth.

5 min · 10 Jun 2025Read →

guide

Verra's Plastic Waste Reduction Standard (PWRS)

A technical guide to Verra's PWRS — the first comprehensive plastic credit standard — covering eligible project types, approved methodologies, additionality requirements, the verification cycle, and how project developers enter the pipeline.

5 min · 28 May 2025Read →

policy

Extended Producer Responsibility and plastic credits

A policy guide covering how EPR frameworks in the EU and US create obligations for plastic packaging producers, where plastic credits fit as a supplementary compliance tool, and what the UN Plastics Treaty means for global market alignment.

5 min · 15 May 2025Read →

explainer

Ocean-bound plastic: the most valuable credit type

Ocean-bound plastic credits command prices 3–4x higher than land-based equivalents — but the label covers multiple competing definitions, certifiers, and verification models that buyers must understand before purchasing.

5 min · 10 May 2025Read →

guide

How plastic credit verification works

Plastic credit verification follows the Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework borrowed from carbon markets — three sequential phases that transform operational collection data into an independently audited credit with a public registry record.

4 min · 25 Apr 2025Read →

research

Comparing plastic credit standards: a buyer's guide

Five major standards compete in the plastic credit market — Verra PWRS, rePurpose Global, CleanHub, Prevented Ocean Plastic, and Plastic Bank — each with distinct rigour levels, timelines, geographies, and buyer use cases.

5 min · 15 Apr 2025Read →

research

Corporate plastic neutrality: case studies and lessons

An evidence-based review of how HP Inc, Henkel, and L'Oréal have structured their plastic neutrality programs — what works, what has drawn scrutiny, and the design principles that separate credible commitments from greenwashing risk.

8 min · 1 Apr 2025Read →

policy

The Basel Convention and plastic waste trade

The 2019 Basel Plastic Waste Amendments transformed the legal landscape for cross-border plastic flows, and the ongoing UN Plastics Treaty negotiations may create an entirely new compliance architecture — with direct implications for plastic credit markets.

7 min · 20 Mar 2025Read →

explainer

Plastic credit co-benefits: social impact and SDG alignment

Projects that deliver verified social co-benefits alongside plastic collection command significant price premiums and offer greater resilience to scrutiny. This article maps the SDG alignment framework, explains how co-benefits are measured, and identifies the verification standards that matter.

7 min · 10 Mar 2025Read →