Lifestyle Garden

S TA N D W I T H L I F E S T Y LE G A R D E N® IN TH E F I G H T A GA I N S T P L A ST I C P O L LU T I O N A N D W O R L D P O V E RT Y

The world is in turmoil again with yet another humanitarian crisis making waves across the globe. Inevitably, this causes consumers to reflect on the plight of others and consider the poverty and dire situations that aren’t currently hitting the headlines, whilst hopefully asking what they can do to help. Here one of the UK’s leading outdoor furniture manufacturers, LifestyleGarden®, highlights the change it is trying to bring to people’s lives across the globe by supporting organisations like Plastic Bank, and how retailers can make a difference through responsible decisions about both their plastic usage and the products they choose to carry.

Too often, people and circumstances can be forgotten when they are out of a news cycle and we carry on with our lives but there is still an enormous amount of poverty, pollution, and people existing in dismal situations. That is why organisations like Plastic Bank are so vitally important, as they strive to give back to communities and help people find a way out of poverty, whilst also clearing the world’s waterways of plastic waste. It’s also why sustainable furniture manufacturer, LifestyleGarden® has teamed up with Plastic Bank to create a new version of its iconic Nassau collection, made exclusively from Social Plastic®.

Sustainability and having a positive impact on the planet is at the heart of everything LifestyleGarden® does – from reducing waste and the consumption of resources and energy, to ensuring its colleagues are well-educated about environmental issues. As many retailers will know, this is a cause very close to the heart of LifestyleGarden®, who shook up the outdoor furniture market with the introduction of its DuraOcean® chair in 2019, repurposing plastic marine waste into stylish garden furniture. Since its launch, DuraOcean® has helped to recycle more than 204,000kg (240 tonnes) of ocean plastic – and this journey continues today. Now this new collaboration with Plastic Bank and the use of Social Plastic® takes this quest to make a difference to the next level and gives consumers the chance to effect real change in the lives of people who are struggling; helping to help build a brighter future for people in poverty. There isn’t one. Even though Social Plastic® costs a little more than virgin plastic, its perceived as value for money because it provides a social benefit. This incentive increases the recycling rate for ocean-bound plastic, whilst giving collectors a path out of poverty. With this story and value attached to Social Plastic® products, consumers will see the worth in paying more while also giving more significant consideration to the retailer for stocking ranges that demonstrate social responsibility.

What is Social Plastic®?

If you’ve never heard of Social Plastic®, then prepare to have your eyes opened to a game-changing initiative. Social Plastic® is ethically sourced recycled material that drives environmental, social and economic impact. Local collectors in vulnerable coastal communities exchange plastic waste for premiums to help them provide basic family necessities such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance. Plastic Bank is literally turning plastic waste into gold by creating ethical recycling centres in coastal communities across the globe, where the materials can then be reprocessed for reintroduction into the manufacturing supply chain.

In simple terms, local people join Plastic Bank as collectors, gathering plastic waste that has been dumped in coastal locations; thus preventing it from polluting waterways. When collectors take their plastic to a Plastic Bank collection branch, the materials are sorted by colour, type, and are weighed. The value is then exchanged for premiums that can be used for basic family necessities, such as groceries, cooking fuel, school tuition, and health insurance. Collected material is reborn as Social Plastic®, which can be sold to manufacturers and reintegrated into new products and packaging, creating a closed-loop supply chain.

Plastic Bank has intentionally established these collection centres in countries with extremely high rates of plastic pollution and poverty. Where the lack of disposal infrastructure and greater dependency on single-use packaging results in a disproportionate amount of pollution. Currently, Plastic Bank operates in Brazil, the Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, and Haiti. It refers to this global network of mini recycling markets as an ecosystem that empowers disadvantaged communities and helps them to transcend poverty by providing an opportunity to collect and trade plastic waste as a currency.

What does this mean for LifestyleGarden®?

Always keen to use as much recycled content in its outdoor furniture as possible, LifestyleGarden has now launched a range of Nassau furniture made from Social Plastic.The range boasts all of the same benefits as the original Nassau collection – a stylish, vibrant set of outdoor and indoor furniture with extreme weather resistance and complete recyclability at end of life. Within this new collection, however, every Nassau chair will be made from the equivalent of 175 recycled plastic bottles, with each chair directly contributing to vulnerable communities supported by Plastic Bank. In fact, LifestyleGarden® has such faith in the popularity of this set and the value Social Plastic® will have to modern consumers, the company has set a target of recycling five million plastic bottles through its Social Plastic® range in 2022.