The Hamburg-based startup Wildplastic collects plastic waste from the environment and recycles it into new products. It has just entered into a pioneering cooperation with retail giant OTTO: From now on, the long-established company will only use mailing bags from Wildplastic that are made from at least 80% wild plastic.
The story of OTTO and Wildplastic begins in 2019
OTTO first became aware of Wildplastic's activities back in 2019. The startup works with local organisations in countries such as India, Indonesia, Thailand and Senegal. There, it recovers plastic waste, known as "wild plastic", from illegal landfills and from the environment into the recycling cycle and processes it into bin liners, for example. The concept convinced OTTO, and after many discussions, material tests, design sprints and a pilot phase, the official partnership began in fall 2021.
In recent years, Wildplastic and OTTO have been able to save more than 300 tons of wild plastic from the environment and thus save 740 tons of CO2. In addition, there is another aspect, as Christian Sigmund, co-founder and CEO of Wildplastic, emphasises: "In addition to the many tons of plastic waste cleaned up and the CO2 saved, we must not forget the social impact. Switching to 100% Wildplastic also means that informal collection organisations around the world are strengthened in their important work." The collaboration with OTTO has now enabled almost 7,000 days of better working conditions for the collectors.
