For a cleaner environment

everwave Whitepaper

The whitepaper explains how your company can create real impact with everwave Plastic Credits. For every Plastic Credit, we remove 1 kg of plastic waste from rivers and waterways around the world before it reaches the ocean.

Why this whitepaper matters to companies

Whether you work in sustainability, marketing or executive management, customers, investors and regulators increasingly expect companies to take responsibility.

The challenge is choosing the right measures, communicating them credibly and making their impact visible.

This whitepaper provides in-depth insights and practical examples of how sustainability can be implemented strategically, communicated effectively and translated into meaningful action within companies.

It covers:

The global challenges of plastic pollution
everwave’s holistic approach: from cleanup boats and Zero Waste Centers to AI-powered analysis
How Plastic Credits work and how companies can use them
Industry examples from hospitality, finance and lifestyle, including real success stories
How Plastic Credits support ESG reporting, the SDGs and corporate goals

Who is this whitepaper for?

The whitepaper is for everyone who wants to make corporate sustainability visible, rather than simply document it:

Sustainability and CSR managers
Marketing and communications managers
Company leaders and ESG managers
Brands focused on environmental responsibility
Companies that want to connect environmental action with visibility

Request the whitepaper

Große Mengen Plastikflaschen und anderer Abfälle haben sich entlang eines Flussufers in Albanien angesammelt. Das Bild zeigt die Auswirkungen von Umweltverschmutzung.

Real impact – real examples

“For every disposable slipper we save, 1 euro goes to everwave at regular intervals. Together, we make a positive contribution and prove once again that luxury and environmental protection can go hand in hand.”

Nikolaus Brandl

Managing Director, ULRICHSHOF

“With everwave, we found an innovative and committed partner determined to fight the pollution of our waterways. Together, we want to raise awareness and take action.”

Jil Schlemonat

Project Manager Purchasing, Schrammek Kosmetik

“Mastercard has supported everwave’s cleanup missions for more than four years. Together, we are committed to a clean and sustainable future by actively reducing plastic waste in our waterways. everwave’s impressive results inspire us and strengthen our commitment to environmental protection. A clean environment is priceless.”

Marc Ockenfels

Director B2B Marketing, Mastercard

Clean rivers with Plastic Credits

At everwave, we build infrastructure to collect waste from rivers and waterways, stopping plastic before it reaches the ocean.

This is where our Plastic Credits come in: one Plastic Credit represents one kilogram of plastic waste that we remove from rivers on behalf of companies and send for proper processing. For every euro invested, one kilogram of plastic waste is collected – giving it new value.

Plastic Credits can be linked flexibly to products, campaigns or individual corporate goals. This enables companies to visibly take responsibility.

These partnerships secure long-term funding for our cleanup projects, enable us to build new collection infrastructure and ensure that plastic already in the environment is collected and further processed.

Learn more about Plastic Credits

Frequently asked questions

1

What are Plastic Credits?

Plastic Credits provide transparent proof of real environmental action: each Credit represents 1 kilogram of plastic waste removed from rivers or waterways under the international Ocean Bound Plastic Standard and processed in the best possible way. For companies, this means they can demonstrate their environmental contribution in a visible, measurable and credible way – with a clear figure, a certificate and storytelling potential. Plastic Credits aren't an abstract offset; they represent direct, verifiable impact.

2

How do Plastic Credits work?

A Credit is created for every kilogram of plastic waste removed from waterways – so 1 Credit equals 1 kg of plastic waste. Companies purchase these Credits to support their sustainability goals. everwave provides clearly documented reports showing exactly when and where the waste was collected. This allows a company to link Plastic Credits directly to products or services and integrate them into its sustainability strategy.

3

How does everwave track and document Plastic Credits?

everwave guarantees full transparency: every Plastic Credit is clearly recorded in our dedicated software and can be traced from the collection site to its issuance.

External confirmation: independent weighing records confirm the collected material quantities.

Individual traceability: every Credit receives a unique serial number, ruling out double counting.

Documented records: partners receive waste collection certificates with all relevant details (quantity, location, period and collection method).

This ensures that every Credit represents real, checked and documented waste collection – traceable and credible.

4

What is the Ocean Bound Plastic (OBP) Standard?

The Ocean Bound Plastic Standard and its associated certification specifically support projects that remove plastic waste from the environment. It creates a scientifically grounded and transparently verifiable basis for ensuring that collected waste actually comes from areas at risk.

For everwave, this means:

We can transparently demonstrate how much plastic waste we collected and where it came from.

Our partners gain a reliable basis for ESG reporting, EmpCo-compliant communication and a clear distinction from non-verifiable models.

The standard guarantees that our impact occurs exactly where the risk of ocean pollution is highest.

The project locations in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, Cambodia, are currently certified under the OBP Standard. In all projects, whether officially certified or not, we work to the same high standards and already meet the requirements of the OBP Standard across the board.