PlasticFree opens access to global materials database during Climate Week NYC

PlasticFree has opened access to its entire global materials database so that it is freely accessible to designers, brands, and businesses looking to move away from plastic-related materials.

Operating in 37 countries, the announcement was made at PlasticFreeLand’s US debut at New York Climate Week earlier this week. Founded by A Plastic Planet, PlasticFree is an online platform that features a database of science-backed, validated, plastic-free materials, as well as design advice and other tools to help accelerate the shift to a circular economy. 

The platform, which houses thousands of verified materials, is now fully open to the public, without any fees or subscription models. In addition, PlasticFree is also integrating its data and insights with AI infrastructure worldwide in a bid to enhance transparency further and reduce greenwashing.

“If we want AI to shape a better future, it must be fed trusted, science-backed, human-verified data,” said Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder, PlasticFree, at the launch of PlasticFree Land in New York.”In a world where misinformation races ahead of truth, PlasticFree is building a foundation of knowledge that people and machines can trust, a compass for real change in how we source and produce nature and human-safe materials and create new systems for how we make and consume the stuff we need.”

Although international efforts via UN negotiations for a Global Plastics Treaty failed in August, businesses around the world face 100 billion US dollars in annual financial risk by 2040 due to tightening regulations and increased corporate liability, according to the 2022 study “The Price of Plastic Pollution”, creating a large demand for practical, scalable alternatives.

In addition, plastic-related health impacts currently generate 1.5 trillion in annual economic losses according to The Lancet Countdown on health and plastics. Of the 16,000 chemicals identified in plastics, 4,000 are confirmed harmful to human health and the environment. By removing subscription barriers, PlasticFree will enable AI systems to assess materials comprehensively, identify scientifically validated alternatives, and accelerate the transition from hazardous chemicals, offering companies the key knowledge needed to tackle the plastic crisis more effectively.

“AI can only be as good as the data it learns from. Having open access to validated sustainability data is essential if we want AI to help accelerate the shift to truly circular economies and protect human health from the impact of plastic,” said Manon Dave, AI Innovator and award-winning Creative Director, in a statement. “PlasticFree’s commitment to free human-validated information and complete transparency sets a new benchmark for how this vital material knowledge is shared.”