How Plastic Credits Work

In this explainer video, the 3R Initiative (https://www.3rinitiative.org/) answers some of the questions you might have on Plastic Credits.

How do Plastic Credits work? How to ensure that investment goes to credible plastic crediting projects? What are the key components of credible plastic crediting? All of these questions are answered in the video.

Plastic crediting has the potential to drive social and environmental improvements. Find out how!

Fishing for Litter in Guanabara Bay

Providing social and environmental benefit, the ‘fishing for litter’ initiative funds fishing communities to remove waste from fishing grounds and coastlines using cutting-edge technology mixed with traditional methods.

By videographer Beatriz Pizzi

Cooperate to Recycle

In its first year, the “Cooperate to Recycle” project — developed by the recyclable materials cooperative Coopama with support from BVRio and Petrobras — achieved significant milestones. A standout feature was integrating mobile technology to enhance efficiency and manage collected materials through the KOLEKT app, enabling Coopama to lead the sector in real-time monitoring of waste flows. The project’s impact extends beyond the pursuit of more efficient waste management. By offering training and providing technical and operational support, Coopama is being able to strengthen its business. Professional and community development combined with infrastructure improvements and the purchase of new equipment, have boosted demand for its services by 20%. The initiative has also fostered new partnerships and increased its waste picker members, underscoring the social benefits of the project.

The 3R Initiative

It was the first global effort designed to reduce the plastic and packaging footprint of consumer goods companies, producers, retailers and others by standardising their efforts and creating tradable instruments that can scale up reductions via a market-based credit scheme. The 3R Initiative was founded by Danone, Veolia, Nestlé, Tetra Pak and is led by international standard-setter Verra and environmental market developer BVRio, both non-profit organisations. Conservation International and South Pole contribute as advisors.

Tyre Recycling Credits market

Developed by BVRio to assist tyre manufacturers and importers in meeting their legal environmental obligations.

The Responsible Commodities Facility (RCF)

Coordinated by our strategic partner SIM, the RCF is an initiative to promote the production and trading of responsible soy in Brazil, by creating a financially sustainable vehicle to provide incentives to farmers and help meet the growing international demand for zero-deforestation supply chains. The Facility will structure a series of programmes to tackle this environmental challenge using different approaches and financial mechanisms.

PlanaFlor

A nation-wide plan for sustainable development that promotes environmental, economic, and social assets to pursue the effective implementation of the Brazilian Forest Code, Law no. 12.651/12, which provides protection for the native vegetation.

This law has the potential to foster rural production in connection vegetation protection and recovery, creating jobs, more income and positive impacts on the climate.

Forest Reserve Credits (CRAs – Créditos de Reserva Ambiental)

BVRio’s online trading platform is to comply with the Brazilian forestry law and to promote biodiversity and carbon conservation.

The Responsible Timber Exchange

A trading platform to assist traders and buyers of timber in sourcing legal or certified products from all over the world. The platform is integrated with a due diligence and risk assessment system, to facilitate the screening of timber products and their supply chains. The objective of the Exchange is to facilitate the procurement of responsible timber products in an efficient, cost effective and secure way, increasing liquidity, supply and demand for this market segment and helping to promote transparency, legality and sustainability in the timber sector. The platform will be particularly useful to buyers and traders operating in Europe and the US, where they have to ensure compliance with the EU Timber Regulation and the US Lacey Act, reducing their exposure to illegal timber trade. Through a series of partnerships, the platform will also enable users to contract for a variety of additional services to aggregate value to each transaction. These include grading and quality control, field audits and due diligence, receivables finance, insurance, logistics and export.