The Prevented Ocean Plastic programme today announces that now more than 1,000 product lines have been packaged using its high-quality, fully traceable and compliant recycled plastic worldwide.
Launched in 2020, Prevented Ocean Plastic works with coastal communities to build infrastructure in areas that need support to prevent the flow of global ocean plastic, collecting, sorting and recycling discarded material before it reaches the water. Five years on, the programme has grown from a sustainable supply chain thought leader into a global franchise model supporting businesses and brands across multiple sectors to meet recycled content, traceability and performance requirements at scale.
The Prevented Ocean Plastic logo first appeared to consumers on a product five years ago- on chilled fish sold in LIDL UK stores. Today it is visible across a wide range of applications including cosmetics, household and cleaning products, health and personal care, pet care, and food and drink. Early users included Sainsburys and Childs Farm, while LVMH shipped its first wine bottled in Prevented Ocean Plastic in 2023, and British cosmetics retailer LUSH began adopting the material in 2024. LUSH first introduced Prevented Ocean Plastic bottles in the UK, then expanded across Europe, and has since rolled out across eight Asian markets, with further global expansion ongoing.
More recent adopters include Scottish Fine Soaps, Give Me Cosmetics and Salt of the Earth deodorant, reflecting continued momentum across both established and emerging brands.
Brands incorporating Prevented Ocean Plastic have also received industry recognition, reinforcing that recycled content no longer requires compromise on performance, safety or brand quality. Lidl was awarded Sustainable Initiative of the Year at the Retail Industry Awards, LUSH was recognised in the Ocean Friendly category of the Marie Claire Sustainability Awards, and Staeger Clear Packaging received a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its use of Prevented Ocean Plastic in PPE manufacturing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Prevented Ocean Plastic programme itself is a three-time nominee for the Earthshot Prize.
Each product using Prevented Ocean Plastic supports:
- The prevention of ocean plastic pollution
- More reliable income opportunities and improved working conditions in coastal communities
- The development of a more just and equitable circular economy
Raffi Schieir, Director of the Prevented Ocean Plastic™ Programme, said:
“Reaching 1,000 products shows that responsible sourcing in recycling can continue to scale. This milestone reflects the commitment of the entire supply chain to create value for collectors, recyclers, and manufacturers, brand partners, and shoppers- working together to prove that environmental responsibility and commercial performance are not opposing forces.”
Prevented Ocean Plastic reached its 500-product milestone less than two years ago. The growth to 1,000 reflects both rising demand for fully traceable recycled materials and an expanding material portfolio. In 2025, the programme announced a world-first- food-safe recycled polypropylene (rPP) produced to the European standard. Polypropylene is one of the most widely used yet least recycled plastics globally, commonly found in cups, bottles, caps and films, with a post-consumer recycling rate of around 1%. This breakthrough means the collection of discarded PP can be properly incentivised, and the material can finally be recycled at scale and turned into high-quality food-safe packaging for consumer use.
Prevented Ocean Plastic rPP products are already making their way to market in bottles, caps, trays, and film, along with two reusable coffee cups made with 50% Prevented Ocean Plastic launched by a UK manufacturer this month. With recycled HDPE also in development, the range of products using Prevented Ocean Plastic is expected to continue expanding.
Over the last five years, Prevented Ocean Plastic and its partners have helped over 3 billion plastic bottles from entering the ocean and supported the creation of over 400 direct jobs, while continuing to raise standards for traceability and accountability across the recycling industry.