Originally from Canada, Raffi moved to the UK in 2011, taking a hands-on approach to understanding the problems and solutions around plastic pollution as he established Bantam Materials UK.
He then created the Prevented Ocean Plastic programme which has stopped almost two billion bottles from reaching the ocean, supplied the NHS, and grown into an award-winning initiative that works in partnership with global brands ranging from Lidl to LVMH.
Prevented Ocean Plastic delivers best-in-class traceability and responsible sourcing with the highest quality and clarity available. This plastic has a second life as new products on the shelves of socially responsible partners such as Patagonia and Lush.
In January 2020, Raffi and his team established the Prevented Ocean Plastic Research Centre to establish recycling culture change. Projects include exploring the movement of litter from land to sea and understanding consumer purchasing behaviour regarding recycled materials. These inform the mission to establish 25 new collection centres on at-risk coastlines by 2025, bringing more than 50,000 tonnes of otherwise uncollected plastic back into the supply chain each year.
Raffi has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Recycling Ambassador Europe and Environmental Champion 2023 and was nominated for the Earthshot prize in the same year.