WILDPLASTIC® transforms plastic waste through circular solutions and steward‑owned governance

WILDPLASTIC® transforms unmanaged plastic waste into new products while safeguarding informal workers’ wellbeing and embedding steward-ownership governance. As a Bright Spot, WILDPLASTIC® shows how recycling can uphold ecological care, equity, and economic development.

Founded in Hamburg, Germany in 2019, WILDPLASTIC® tackles one of the most intractable ecological challenges: unmanaged plastic waste found outside of formal recycling systems such as cities, illegal dumpsites, and landfills. Partnering with sourcing partners and informal waste pickers in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Ghana, WILDPLASTIC® repurposes this “wild plastic” into trash bags and mail packaging for consumer and industrial use.  

WILDPLASTIC® focuses on Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) known for its flexibility, durability, and transparency and widely used for plastic bags, shrink wraps, and films. In addressing a pressing pollution crisis, WILDPLASTIC® also recognises and uplifts the marginalised workers who sustain informal recycling economies.  

By coupling material recovery with worker protections and transparent governance, WILDPLASTIC® demonstrates that the circular economy can deliver both environmental conservation and human dignity. 


How is WILDPLASTIC® different from more mainstream circular solutions?

WILDPLASTIC® distinguishes itself through three core pillars: steward-ownership, impact-aligned non-extractive capital, and worker safety integration. From inception, it has adopted a golden-share framework: 1% of voting rights are held by the Purpose Foundation to safeguard its governance and financing structure, ensuring they stay true to their mission even as they scale. Funding has been secured through non-extractive impact capital from convertible loans to redeemable equity aligned with long-term systemic change, rather than short-term returns.  

While mainstream recycling often prioritises efficiency, WILDPLASTIC® takes a worker centric approach. Informal waste pickers in many regions face daily risks: sharp-object injuries, exposure to toxins, respiratory illness, and ergonomic strain. WILDPLASTIC® addresses this by supplying PPE, training, and safer collection protocols. 

Photo credit: Ronja Lamberty

How is WILDPLASTIC® changing the way plastic waste management is conducted?

Global plastic production exceeds 400 million tons annually, yet only 9% is recycled, and much of that excludes informal workers. WILDPLASTIC® confronts this challenge head-on, proving that circularity can be people-centered and effective in environmental benefits.  

By incorporating safety measures for collectors and ensuring fair pay, the company reduces occupational hazards documented widely in informal recycling sectors. Environmentally, their life cycle assessments, conducted with Planet A, show a 51% lower carbon footprint compared to virgin plastics offering tangible climate gains. 

"It may sound counterintuitive, but not scaling up poses a much greater threat to worker safety and ecological principles. If things remain as they are, informal workers will continue to be stuck with hazardous working conditions, unreliable pay, and no support system. Our main objective is to initiate and drive long-term transformation by providing a steady market for products from the informal sector. Scaling up WILDPLASTIC® establishes a set of core principles, and most importantly, every WILDPLASTIC® product drives positive change. Our ownership structure is crucial in safeguarding our core principles."

— Christian Sigmund, Co-Founder and CEO, WILDPLASTIC® 

 

What could the future look like if WILDPLASTIC®’s model scales?  

Global recycling practices and systems could be redefined if WILDPLASTIC®’s approach achieves widespread adoption. With “wild plastic” recovered safely by trained workers, worker injuries, respiratory illnesses, and hazardous exposure could decline dramatically as safety becomes a baseline standard. “Wild plastic certified” products might become a new consumer standard, signaling both environmental recovery and worker justice. Formalised cooperatives of waste pickers could emerge as partners in these systems, even venturing into locally anchored recycling hubs.  

At the same time, steward-governed businesses could proliferate, ensuring that growth never compromises mission integrity. Entire industries could be nudged toward models that measure success not only in tonnes recycled but also in lives safeguarded and emissions reduced. In this vision, recycling shifts from a transactional afterthought to a restorative practice of ecological and social stewardship, woven into the fabric of everyday consumption. 

Photo: WILDPLASTIC® Polybag

"We established WILDPLASTIC® as a means of tackling the growing plastic crisis. This has always been, and will always be, our core objective. Steward ownership enabled us to turn this commitment into a constitutional principle. Put simply, we did not want WILDPLASTIC® to become just another greenwashing company driven by short-term profit. We envision a regenerative economy and have designed our governance accordingly. In practice, we cannot deviate from our mission or extract values from the company at will. In my opinion, trust is one of the most valuable assets of our time. It is our job to succeed in our mission with focus, integrity and perseverance."

— Christian Sigmund, Co-Founder and CEO, WILDPLASTIC®

Questions to consider

  • What hidden injustices underpin our current recycling systems? 

  • How would recognising informal waste workers transform the circular economy? 

  • What would it take for “ethical recycling” to become the global standard? 

Meet the Bright Spots

A Forum for the Future initiative, in partnership with The Earthshot Prize, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Trane Technologies, the Future of Sustainability: Reimagining the Way the World Works is showcasing the social and climate initiatives shaping a better future, today. 


 

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