David Katz, Founder and CEO of The Plastic Bank

The Plastic Bank operates a global currency system that enables impoverished communities to exchange collected plastic for essential goods like education, healthcare, and utilities. This model functions as a for-profit enterprise that supplies major corporations with verified recycled materials while providing collectors with an entrepreneurial income stream exceeding traditional wages. The organization is currently expanding its footprint upstream along the Nile River to prevent marine debris at its source by formalizing waste collection in Egypt and neighboring nations.