Scaling Social and Environmental Impact: PPRS Insights at Control Union Webinar

We are proud to have had Ina Ballik, our Standards and Technology Manager, as a keynote speaker at Control Union’s recent global webinar: “Advancing Social Impact through Plastic Stewardship.”

The session brought together sustainability leaders to address a critical challenge in the circular economy: How can organizations align environmental recovery with meaningful social objectives?

The PPRS Framework: Beyond Material Recovery

Drawing from our extensive work under the Plastic Pollution Reduction Standard (PPRS), Ina highlighted that high-integrity plastic stewardship is not just about the volume of material collected—it is about the lives impacted during the process. Under the PPRS V8 framework, registered projects are designed to promote positive environmental outcomes while actively safeguarding vulnerable groups within the plastic value chain. By integrating qualitative additionality into the standard, we ensure that every plastic credit generated represents a step forward for both the planet and the community.

A Multi-Stakeholder Win-Win-Win

During the panel discussion, Ina summarized the holistic value proposition of the PPRS Standard, emphasizing how it provides relief and incentives across the entire ecosystem:

• For Communities: We provide direct financial incentives for local collectors and waste workers, turning environmental cleanup into a sustainable engine for economic empowerment.

• For Businesses: We offer a transparent, auditable, and responsible mechanism to manage plastic footprints, moving beyond simple offsets toward high-impact stewardship.

• For Governments: By mobilizing private finance for waste infrastructure, our model provides vital relief to heavily taxed municipal waste systems.

• For the Planet: By closing the loop and reducing leakage, we provide nature with the necessary space to heal and regenerate.

“I do think that there is a fundamental issue that I've been observing for the past years; that is on how projects are perceived to be additional. It is widely accepted that additionality is based solely on increased collection and processing, even if working conditions in the baseline scenario have been very poor. We must move beyond accepting only volume-based additionality, and recognize socio-economic additionality of projects which funnel plastic credit revenues to uplift communities in the absence of increased collection and processing. ” — Ina Ballik

Moving Forward

We thank Control Union for the opportunity to showcase the socioeconomic and environmental impacts the PPRS has achieved to date. As the global conversation around the UN Plastic Treaty intensifies, these frameworks will be essential in ensuring that "circularity" remains synonymous with "equity."

Please visit our PPRS page to learn more about how our standards support both environmental and socioeconomic benefits. For potential partnerships, reach out to us at info@pcxsolutions.org.