New Partnership: RLABS Accredited by Plastiks for Plastic Recovery

Cape Town’s RLABS joins the Plastiks network to scale traceable, community-led recovery.

Based in Bridgetown, Cape Town, RLABS has now joined Plastiks’ certified network of recovery entities—validating its plastic recovery operations as traceable, socially impactful, and aligned with circular economy principles.

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Certified on April 18, 2025, RLABS now joins a global network of recovery organizations whose collection data is recorded on the blockchain—ensuring transparency, credibility, and visibility for environmental work that often goes unrecognized in traditional markets

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^{Meet RLABS: From Community to Climate Action}

Founded in 2009 in Cape Town’s Bridgetown community, Reconstructed Living Lab NPC (RLABS) is a non-profit social enterprise that uses technology, skills training, and entrepreneurship to support youth, women, and underserved communities. Over the past 15 years, it has expanded to 25 countries and impacted more than 65 million lives, with over 2.5 million people directly trained through its programs.

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Plastic recovery is one of RLABS’ more recent areas of focus—developed not only to reduce pollution, but to provide jobs and support local infrastructure. These initiatives are designed to deliver environmental outcomes while reinforcing the organization’s core goal: creating systems of opportunity and inclusion from the ground up.

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In joining the Plastiks Recovery Network, RLABS saw  an opportunity to scale its recovery efforts within a global ecosystem grounded in transparency and verifiability. In a statement shared with Plastiks, Craig Du Mont, Director of RLABS, said: “Accreditation as a Plastiks Recovery Entity helps us scale our community-driven efforts while participating in a transparent, results-oriented climate solution.”

With certification now in place, RLABS’ plastic collection efforts are recorded on the blockchain—providing a verifiable footprint that links local recovery to international ESG frameworks.

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^{How Does Plastiks Accredit Recovery Entities for Verified Impact}

“With RLABS, we’re demonstrating how timestamped, traceable recovery data can turn community impact into verifiable climate action,” says André Vanyi-Robin, CEO of Plastiks. For us, certification isn’t just a process—it’s a means of linking grassroots action to climate accountability through verifiable systems.

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The Plastiks certification model is built to do exactly that. It validates recovery operations against a framework focused on transparency, local engagement, and measurable outcomes.

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“This certification ensures every effort is backed by credible proof—linking local recovery to global reporting frameworks through transparent infrastructure.” André Vanyi-Robin, CEO of Plastiks.

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Once certified, each organization is integrated into Plastiks’ web-2 friendly platform, where its recovery activities are timestamped, geolocated, and permanently recorded on the blockchain.

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This system provides averifiable chain of custody for every kilogram of recovered plastic—connecting collection to ESG reporting, plastic credit issuance, and climate-linked disclosures.

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For community-driven organizations like RLABS, certification marks a shift: from informal environmental work to globally traceable impact.

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^{Support the Future of Verified Plastic Recovery}

With its certification now active, RLABS is moving forward with the next phase of its recovery work—this time supported by a system of full transparency. Every item collected will be recorded on the blockchain, creating a verified data trail that links local action to global reporting frameworks and sustainability goals.

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For organizations seeking to support credible environmental initiatives, this partnership offers a model grounded in real impact. RLABS brings local knowledge, social infrastructure, and long-term commitment to the table—while Plastiks provides the tools to ensure that every recovery effort is visible, auditable, and aligned withESG expectations.

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Over the coming months,RLABS will continue to integrate its work into the Plastiks platform—ensuring that recovery is not just happening, but being seen, supported, and valued.

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Interested in supporting verified recovery or partnering with grassroots-led climate solutions likeRLABS? Book a meeting with our team to learnhow Plastiks can help you turn support into measurable impact.

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