New age advertising startup Bagboard aims to encourage the use of reusable bags through digital incentives. The startup converts paper bags into advertising spaces, which, with an accompanying digital app, are then reused by customers in exchange for personal and social incentives. 

An estimated 5 trillion pieces are currently polluting the oceans. 2 million plastic bags are handed out each minute. As more sustainable alternatives to plastic bags become available, Bagboard promotes the adoption of reusable bags through a digital advertising platform paired with consumer incentives. 

Bagboard brings advertising and sustainability together with its innovative idea in a few simple steps:

• The customer picks up a Bagboard reusable paper bag from one of the 2,000 independent retailers across London. Each bag is printed with an advertisement. 
• The customer installs the Bagboard app and scans the advertisement. The advertisement immediately goes live, and Bagboard contributes to plastic removal from the ocean in partnership with Plastic Bank with each scan. 
• The customer reuses the bag across London. With each reuse, Bagboard recycles plastic bags.
• Additionally, each time a customer interacts with the advertised brand, they accumulate rewards on the app. The rewards can be sent to a number of social and environmental causes. 

The bags are distributed free of cost and are durable, water-resistant and recyclable. 

The bags can be recycled traditionally or returned to Bagboard to be re-recycled into an advertisement bag. 

Bagboard provides a lucrative advertising platform for brands, with the process being low-cost, consumer-friendly and eco-conscious. So far, Bagboard has worked with Hello Fresh, Laundrapp, Zipjet, and easyCar among others. 

With a million bags already distributed to their network of retailers, Bagboard launched the application in September 2019.