Sustainability has been a topic that many companies have been using casually as a marketing tool in recent years. This is why R5 has always sought a rigorous and transparent approach to this topic. We do not limit ourselves to combating the spread of single-use plastic with our products, but we collaborate with organizations of recognized authority to support the collection and recovery of plastic in areas of the planet that are less organized and more exposed to the uncontrolled spread of waste. Plastic Negative: Beyond Neutrality R5 was one of the first brands in Italy to obtain the Plastic Negative certification with rePurpose Global, choosing to measure the quantity of plastic released into the environment and committing to offset a double quantity by financing certified collection and reuse projects. That's what the Plastic Negative logo on our website and many of our products means: we fund the collection of more plastic than we put into the environment when our customers buy our products. We do this by partnering with Repurpose Global, a global platform that brings together brands, consumers, innovators and policymakers to fight the plastic waste crisis. The Results of Our Commitment This year, R5 has funded 6.5 tonnes of plastic for the Anant Pranay (Hindi for “Infinite Love”) project in India. With this project, Repurpose Global aims to take action against plastic pollution in Aurangabad. The project encourages the ethical collection and processing of low-value plastics that would otherwise have become plastic pollution. All women who fight against waste are provided with free food kits and rations every month, providing them with additional disposable income to improve their standard of living. Overall, the project has already collected over 3 million kg of plastic, involved more than 100 local workers, mostly women, and improved the waste collection process that affects approximately 500,000 people. The impact is therefore not only environmental, but also social: it offers decent work opportunities, improves the quality of life of the families involved and builds a replicable model of circular economy in a densely populated area, where only 1% of plastic is managed through a formal collection system.
