Helena Joyce
Plastic pollution is a pressing issue that affects the environment, wildlife, climate, human health, and social justice. Many organizations are actively working to combat this problem and create a more sustainable future. These include non-profit organizations like Greenpeace, which pushes for a ban on single-use plastics and advocates for better recycling techniques, and Plastic Oceans International, which uses film to raise awareness and spark dialogue around plastic pollution. Other notable organizations include The Ocean Cleanup, which uses innovative technology to capture and recycle plastic from the ocean, and 4Oceans, a community-driven organization that sells bracelets made from recycled materials to fund their cleanup efforts. Bureo is another organization that focuses on recycling abandoned fishing nets into new products, and Parley, a global collaboration network that works with companies to convert plastic waste into usable materials. These organizations, along with many others, are leading the charge in reducing plastic pollution and its harmful impacts.
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What You'll Learn
- Non-profits like Greenpeace and Plastic Oceans International are leading the fight against plastic pollution
- Organizations like 4Oceans are community-driven, focusing on removing waste from oceans and coastlines
- The Ocean Cleanup uses floating barriers to capture plastic and bring it back to shore for disposal
- The Plastic Bank in Canada buys plastic waste from poor communities to reduce plastic pollution
- Bureo addresses plastic pollution by collecting and recycling abandoned fishing nets into new products
Non-profits like Greenpeace and Plastic Oceans International are leading the fight against plastic pollution
Plastic Oceans International, founded in 2012, employs a structured and iterative approach to film dialogues to engage intersectoral stakeholders and drive collaborative action. Their film library and distribution service, SEE+Δ (See Positive Change), showcase films that influence circular economy policies and inspire local initiatives.
In addition to these non-profits, other organizations like the Plastic Pollution Coalition and the Oceanic Society are also actively addressing plastic pollution. The Plastic Pollution Coalition is a non-profit communications and advocacy organization that collaborates with a global alliance of organizations, businesses, and individuals to create a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts. The Oceanic Society offers solutions and initiatives, such as beach cleanups and the 7-day challenge, to directly combat ocean plastic pollution.
The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization, is developing and scaling technologies with a dual strategy. They aim to intercept plastic in rivers and clean up accumulated ocean plastic, targeting the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. By tackling 1000 rivers worldwide, they estimate they can halt 80% of riverine pollution reaching the oceans and remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.
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Organizations like 4Oceans are community-driven, focusing on removing waste from oceans and coastlines
Several organizations are actively working to combat plastic pollution, a global crisis that requires urgent action. Trillions of pieces of plastic pollute our oceans, damaging marine life, ecosystems, and threatening human health.
One such organization is 4Oceans, a community-driven group with a relentless commitment to cleaning and restoring oceans, rivers, and coastlines. They aim to accelerate and expand global cleanup efforts, removing harmful plastic and debris that threaten marine ecosystems. Through strategic partnerships, innovation, and education, they inspire lasting change towards a world free from plastic pollution.
Similarly, The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization developing and scaling technologies to remove plastic from the oceans. They employ a dual strategy: intercepting plastic in rivers to prevent it from reaching the oceans and cleaning up the plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean. By targeting 1000 rivers worldwide, they aim to halt 80% of riverine pollution, with the overall goal of removing 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.
The WWF (World Wildlife Fund) is also leading the charge with their Plastic Reboot initiative. They advocate for government action at all levels to address plastic pollution and support the development of policies and strategies to reduce, source, design, and reuse plastic materials. The WWF works in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme, among other global organizations, to address this crisis.
Additionally, the Plastic Pollution Coalition is a non-profit organization that collaborates with a global alliance of organizations, businesses, and individuals to create a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts. They urge governments, including the US, to take a stronger stance on the Global Plastics Treaty and reduce plastic production.
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The Ocean Cleanup uses floating barriers to capture plastic and bring it back to shore for disposal
Several organizations are working to address plastic pollution, including the Plastic Pollution Coalition, the WWF, and The Ocean Cleanup.
The Ocean Cleanup, in particular, is a non-profit organization that aims to remove 90% of plastic from the oceans by 2040. To achieve this ambitious goal, they employ a dual strategy: intercepting plastic in rivers and cleaning up plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean.
One of their key technologies is the use of floating barriers to capture plastic. System 03, for example, features a floating barrier with a retention zone. The system targets plastic hotspots in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is located between Hawaii and California and contains over 100,000,000 kilograms of plastic. The plastic is funneled into the retention zone, which is emptied approximately every four days onto a vessel.
The Ocean Cleanup's current system consists of a large floating net-like barrier that forms a U-shape and is slowly towed by two ships. The natural flow caused by the movement directs the plastic towards the central retention zone. Once a week, the vessels come together to close the barriers, collect the retention zone, and empty the plastic onto one of the ship decks. The plastic is then separated into different recycling streams, packaged, and sent to recycling facilities onshore.
The floating systems are designed to capture plastics ranging from small pieces just millimeters in size to large debris, including massive discarded fishing nets. By actively tracking where plastic hotspots form, The Ocean Cleanup can direct their vessels more efficiently, increasing the amount of plastic collected while reducing costs and emissions.
While some critics argue that The Ocean Cleanup's technique does not address microplastics, the organization's efforts have made a significant impact on the removal of larger plastic pollution from the oceans.
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The Plastic Bank in Canada buys plastic waste from poor communities to reduce plastic pollution
Several organizations are working to address the pressing issue of plastic pollution, which is choking our oceans, polluting air, water, and soil, and endangering wildlife and ecosystems. One such organization is The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit developing technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. They aim to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040 by intercepting plastic in rivers and cleaning up accumulated ocean waste.
Another notable initiative is the Plastic Bank, headquartered in Canada, which takes a unique approach to reducing plastic pollution and alleviating poverty. The Plastic Bank buys plastic waste from poor communities, empowering them to transform this waste into a valuable resource.
Plastic Bank was founded in 2013 by David Katz and Shaun Frankson (or Shaun, as named in one source), with the vision of turning plastic waste into currency to help lift underserved communities out of poverty. The organization recognizes that much of the plastic waste entering our environment originates from areas of poverty. By starting in Haiti and expanding to other countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Egypt, Thailand, and Cameroon, Plastic Bank empowers community members to exchange plastic for income and social benefits.
The collected plastic is then delivered to processing partners, who reprocess it into Social Plastic feedstock. This feedstock is reintegrated into new products and packaging by partner organizations and brands, supporting a circular economy. The Plastic Bank's blockchain-secured fintech platform ensures end-to-end supply chain traceability, universal income, financial inclusion, and life-enhancing advantages for those in poverty.
Through its Community Partnership Program, Plastic Bank also provides plastic collection facilities and education to schools and faith-based communities, fostering a culture of recycling among younger generations. The organization has received recognition for its impact, including the Sustainia Community Award at COP21 and the United Nations Momentum for Change Award at COP23.
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Bureo addresses plastic pollution by collecting and recycling abandoned fishing nets into new products
Plastic pollution is a pressing global crisis, with plastic debris choking our oceans, polluting the air, water, and soil, and endangering wildlife and ecosystems. One organization that is tackling this issue is Bureo, a company that focuses on addressing plastic pollution caused by abandoned fishing nets.
Bureo's mission is to end fishing net pollution and protect the oceans by empowering communities. They work with fisheries and local communities to provide an incentivized program for collecting, cleaning, sorting, and recycling fishing nets. This process transforms the nets into Bureo's NetPlus® material, which is 100% recycled, 100% post-consumer, and 100% traceable. By creating this program, Bureo not only addresses the critical issue of fishing net waste but also generates positive outcomes such as employment opportunities for local workers and funding for community projects.
Fishing nets are particularly harmful as plastic pollution. When discarded, these nets can continue to entangle marine life for up to 10 years. The synthetic materials used in fishing gear can persist in the ocean for up to 600 years, breaking down into microplastics that can be ingested by marine animals and enter the food chain. Bureo's work in preventing these nets from entering the marine environment is, therefore, a crucial aspect of mitigating ocean plastic pollution and its toxic impacts.
Since its inception, Bureo has made significant progress, collecting over 7.2 million pounds of discarded nets from 62 fisheries and fishing communities. They began recycling fishing nets in Chile in 2013 and have since expanded their operations to Peru and Argentina, and are initiating programs in Mexico and Ecuador. Bureo's community-based approach is key to their success, as they work directly with local communities to provide solutions for end-of-life fishing nets and create sustainable apparel.
The company's efforts have been supported by organizations like CI Ventures, which invested $500,000 to facilitate the replication of recycling programs and expand into new countries. Bureo's work exemplifies how targeted initiatives can address specific forms of plastic pollution, creating healthier coastal communities and mitigating the harmful effects of plastic waste on the environment and marine life.
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Frequently asked questions
The World Wildlife Fund is a non-profit organization that is leading the charge to reduce, source, design, and reuse plastic materials. They are advocating for a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution by the end of 2025.
The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization that develops advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. They use a dual strategy of intercepting plastic in rivers and cleaning up plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste is a unique collaboration in Durban that aims to reduce plastic pollution by diverting waste from the Amanzimtoti and eZimbokodweni river catchments. They support various projects, including Mr Green Africa, GIRO Argentina, and Creasion in Nepal.
The Plastic Pollution Coalition is a non-profit communications and advocacy organization that collaborates with a global alliance of organizations, businesses, and individuals to create a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts. They urge the U.S. government to take a stronger stance on the Global Plastics Treaty.
