Standards & schemes
Zero Plastic Oceans; audits via accredited certification bodies
In brief
Ocean Bound Plastic Certification, run by the non-profit Zero Plastic Oceans, certifies the collection and recycling of "ocean-bound plastic" — abandoned plastic waste within a defined distance of coastlines or waterways, at risk of entering the ocean, a term the scheme helped define. It offers several sub-certifications: for collectors and collection organisations, recyclers, and brands or packaging users making OBP content claims, with audits performed by accredited third-party certification bodies. The standards were last revised in September 2021. Because "ocean-bound" and "ocean plastic" are loosely used marketing terms with no regulatory definition, the certification's geographic definitions and chain-of-custody documentation are what make such claims testable; without them, the phrase is essentially unverifiable. The scheme defines categories of ocean-bound plastic — including shoreline and waterway material within set distances of the coast — so that 'ocean-bound' claims can be tested against geography rather than marketing. It also certifies neutralisation models in which brands fund the collection of equivalent plastic volumes. Certification substantiates an ocean-bound-plastic sourcing or content claim only within the certified scope and chain of custody; it does not by itself prove marine-environment outcomes or validate wording beyond that scope.
Conditional relationships
A relationship does not mean that the standard proves or validates every use of a claim.
Recognition & legal context
No reviewed law references are published.
Have evidence, context or a correction?
Suggest a correction